By: Manoah Kikekon
Residents of the Badagry Local Government Area have raised grave concerns over widespread extortion and forgery allegedly masterminded by Mrs. Hope Omono Enenmoh, the Controller of the National Population Commission (NPC) in Badagry, Lagos State.
Mrs. Enenmoh oversees the seven officially recognised birth and death registration centres across the local government namely Ilado Primary Health Centre (PHC), Ilogbo PHC, Mowo PHC, Apa PHC, Ogologbo PHC, Ajara PHC, and the Badagry head office. Investigations reveal that an unauthorised, illegal registration point has also been established within the local council secretariat.
Official Guidelines Versus Field Realities
In July 2026, the National Population Commission launched a digital platform to streamline civil registration services nationwide, allowing citizens to register births and deaths, apply for birth attestations, correct records, and verify certificates online.
According to official Commission guidelines, birth registration for children under five years remains entirely free at all designated NPC centres, while online self-service applications for children over five incur a regulated N5,000 fee. However, reality on the ground in Badagry paints a starkly different picture.
Undercover Investigation Uncovers Cash Extortion
To verify residents' complaints, journalist Manoah Kikekon visited the NPC office situated inside the Badagry Local Government Council in disguise. Met by Mrs. Enenmoh, the reporter requested birth certificates for two children, aged three and six, noting that they needed the documents for upcoming National Identification Number (NIN) registration.
“With the new directives, it is either you bring the kids or you snap their pictures and send them to me on WhatsApp,” Mrs. Enenmoh instructed.
When asked about the cost, she reviewed an unapproved price list and stated, “For the one that is six years old, it is 10,000 Naira; for the one that is three years old, it is N4,500.”
When the reporter queried whether a 23-year-old would face similar charges, Mrs. Enenmoh explained the adult process:
“The person will first go and swear an affidavit in a high court stating they want to get a birth certificate. Ideally, you are supposed to get it when you are younger, but when you miss that, you have to get the affidavit, then bring it here with your NIN. It will cost N40,000, and if the person wants the old format, we can backdate it, which is more expensive.”
When reminded that child registrations are legally free, she brushed off the concern, asking only for the children's names for a future visit.
Forgery, Backdating
Further investigation revealed that Mrs. Enenmoh's malpractice extends beyond financial extortion into document falsification.
A resident, Mr. Ezerem Kenneth, recounted paying N14,000 in cash for his 13-year-old daughter's birth certificate after being told cash payment was mandatory. Scrutiny of the certificate issued in August 2026 showed it had been backdated to June 2026. Furthermore, while the document claimed the registration took place at the Oglogbo PHC, it was actually issued in Badagry.
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Another resident, Mr. Olayemi David, reported an identical experience, confirming that these certificates are vulnerable to counterfeit verification checks.
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When the journalist visited the Oglogbo PHC at the Seme border to verify the document, Mr. Daniel Akinlabi, the resident NPC officer, stated:
“I had not resumed office at Oglogbo as at the date the birth certificate issued to Ezerem was backdated to. I cannot tell the reason why Madam Enenmoh chose to write Ogologbo instead of Badagry, but since she is our overall boss, I believe she knows better.”
Ad-Hoc Staff Confirm Illegal Pricing Structure
Conversations with Ayomide Deji, an ad-hoc staff member working under Mrs. Enenmoh, corroborated the arbitrary pricing scheme via WhatsApp chats: “Now we only do the digital registration; we don't write with hand anymore. The cost for age 2 is N3,100, age 3 is N4,500, age 7 is N8,000, and age 15 is N14,000.”
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| charts with Ayomide |
While death certificate collection is officially free of charge, an undercover visit to the NPC head office at Topo-Garage, Badagry, revealed a similar extortion racket. Ayomide contacted Mrs. Enenmoh by phone before quoting a total of N25,000 comprising N5,000 for a court affidavit and N20,000 for the death certificate.
When asked to provide an official government account for payment, Ayomide said, “You cannot pay to an official account because it's only my boss who has access to it. You will pay into my Moniepoint POS account with the account number 5038592380.”
Financial checks on the Point of Sale (POS) terminal used for the transaction revealed it is registered directly under the name “Hope Omono Enenmoh,” confirming her personal involvement in routing extortion proceeds.
Other locals, such as Mr. Jimor Ahisu from Iragbo, reported waiting weeks for delayed certificates after paying unauthorized fees of N1,500 for their grandchildren.
Badagry Local Council Dissociates Itself
Reacting to the allegations, Mr. Kriko Augustine, Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Chairman of Badagry Local Government, distanced the council administration from the fraudulent operations taking place within its secretariat.
“The Local Government Chairman, in his magnanimity, made the office available to the NPC within the council premises in addition to the existing office occupied by the agency at the council area office to ease the stress associated with birth certificate registration for Badagry residents,” Mr. Kriko explained.
“The scope of the agency's operations and how it uses the facility are matters within its own administrative responsibility. The local government does not have jurisdiction over the agency's activities or operational decisions within the facility. As we speak, the Chairman is not aware of any fraudulent activities taking place there. However, should any such activity be brought to his attention, I am confident that he will take the necessary and decisive action,” Kriko added.
A Barrier to Education
Civil society observers note that Mrs. Enenmoh's systemic extortion acts as a severe deterrent for parents trying to obtain statutory documentation for their children. Compulsory birth certificate requirements for primary and secondary school enrollment mean these illegal fees are directly contributing to the rising number of out-of-school children across Badagry.
Residents are urgently calling on the leadership of the National Population Commission and anti-corruption agencies to launch a thorough investigation into the Badagry centre.