By Marindoti Oludar
In a turn of events that has international reverberations, Chicago State University (CSU) inadvertently released the Social Security Number (SSN) of Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while complying with a judge’s order following a lawsuit by Atiku Abubakar, the candidate who lost the 2023 presidential election to Tinubu. The action has sparked outrage and raised concerns about potential identity theft and misuse of the president’s personal data.
President Tinubu had previously expressed reservations about unfettered release of his academic records, fearing “irreparable damage.” His concerns have been validated with the recent exposure of his SSN. The exposure is in direct violation of the Illinois Identity Protection Act, which mandates that “A person or State or local government agency must redact social security numbers from the information or documents before allowing the public inspection or copying of the information or documents.”
The Social Rehabilitation Group (SRG), which I lead as Convener, has vehemently condemned the oversight by CSU and the alleged malicious intent by Atiku. In a statement, our group once stated, “This is not just a breach of privacy but a blatant disregard for decorum, international diplomacy and the sanctity of personal information.” The SRG has called on President Tinubu’s legal team to sue Atiku for a staggering 1 billion dollars for allegedly releasing the SSN online and has also urged for CSU to face penalties for its oversight.
The clear truth now is that the whole saga, as it stands, has exposed Tinubu’s SSN to internet fraudsters known as Yahoo Boys, who can use the president’s name to defraud unsuspecting netizens or assume President Tinubu’s identity and obtain bank loans, open a credit card account or gain access to the President’s personal bank account in an apparent identity theft.
This has also brought to the front-burner, the consensus of right-thinking opinion moulders anywhere in the world, that President Tinubu, to save his hard-earned reputation from being soiled by Internet rascals, should sue Atiku for aggravated damages in a court of law.
The backstory of this controversy traces back to Atiku Abubakar’s attempt to disqualify President Tinubu based on his academic qualifications. This led to CSU confirming that President Tinubu indeed attended the university. They even presented a certificate from 1979, coinciding with the president’s graduation year. However, this certificate resembled those issued in the 90s. It’s noteworthy that President Tinubu’s original certificate was reportedly destroyed by General Abacha, which resulted in a reissue prior to his gubernatorial election during the 90s.
With the international spotlight now on CSU and Atiku Abubakar, legal experts predict a complex legal battle ahead. As the situation unfolds, the world will be closely watching how Nigeria, the United States, and the involved parties navigate this delicate situation.
This article is a reflection of the current events as reported, leaving the inherent opinions solely mine and that of our group, the SRG.
- Dr. Oludare, Nigeria-born US-based medical practitioner and Convener, Social Rehabilitation Gruppe (SRG) writes from Dallas, TX USA.