The National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, has expressed concern over the growing trend of criminals impersonating senior customs officials on social media to deceive unsuspecting citizens.
The service also issued a statement warning of the rise in online scams involving phoney recruitment and auction offers falsely linked to the service, while urging the public to be vigilant and avoid becoming prey to scammers.
“We have observed a disturbing rise in fake accounts bearing the names and images of the Comptroller-General of Customs, the National PRO, and even retired senior officers, all falsely claiming to offer jobs and auction opportunities,” Maiwada said in an address to journalists in Abuja on Friday.
He emphasised that the NCS does not conduct recruitment or auctions via social media, describing such actions as “criminal acts aimed at tarnishing the service’s reputation and defrauding innocent Nigerians.”
As part of ongoing efforts to combat such schemes, he announced that the NCS recently arrested one, Mr. Okoli Okana Boniface, for allegedly manipulating the recruitment process while falsely claiming to be an aide to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
“The case was promptly reported and thoroughly investigated by the Customs Police Unit. Findings confirmed it was a calculated attempt to compromise the integrity of the recruitment exercise,” Maiwada explained.
Maiwada described the arrest as evidence of the service’s commitment to upholding the credibility of its operations reaffirming the NCS’s zero-tolerance policy on fraud.
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“Further investigations are underway to uncover similar cases,” he said
Maiwada urged Nigerians to verify all information related to recruitment and auctions through the service’s official communication channels.
“We advise the public to disregard messages or offers from unverified sources and to rely solely on our verified platforms for accurate information.
“The NCS remains committed to identifying, exposing, and prosecuting those who seek to compromise our operations through deceit,” Maiwada concluded.
