Hundreds of desperate Secondary School pupils stormed the National Civil Registration Authority(NCRA) headquarters in Freetown in order to secure their National Identification Number (NIN).

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) issued a notice, stating that, only pupils with NIN will be eligible to take the 2023 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) slated for February 2023.

As a result of the above-mentioned, large number of students from various schools across the capital queued at the NCRA office to get their NIN.

Many of the students Sierraloaded spoke to expressed dissatisfaction at the registration process and feared that they will not meet the registration deadline set for WASSCE 2023.

The students said that they are paying Le15 to go through the process, but the delays is making it hard for them. Some said that they would have to wake up as early as 3:00 am to wait at NCRA office for them to get their NIN.

“I woke up at 3:00 am to get here because of the large queue I saw the other day. I have to fought very hard to secure my NIN, even though I came at that early hour,” Sulaiman Conteh, a student of Prince of Wales said.

James Deen, attending Albert Academy said that he had been trying to get his NIN since last week.

“Every time, I come here I will meet large amount of people. I have been trying to secure my NIN since last week Thursday. Honestly, I’m sad and fed up,” he lamented.

“We have left our homes and abandoned our classes to come here to get our NIN. Our principal told us that if we don’t have our NIN, won’t sit this year’s WASSCE,” Mariama Kuyateh, a student of Ansarul Islamic Secondary School explained.

With the huge number of students clustered together at the same place to secure their NIN, a commotion occurred, and some of the students took to the streets of Freetown, expressing their frustration. Riot police were called to calm down the situation and restore order.