The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has alerted Nigerians to a fraudulent scheme in which impostors are using the identities of senior officials to lure unsuspecting members of the public with fake offers to purchase forfeited vehicles at discounted prices.
The anti-narcotics agency, in a statement issued on Friday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that the fraudsters have specifically been impersonating the NDLEA Secretary, Shadrach Haruna, by circulating forged letters and messages advertising non-existent vehicle auctions.
Babafemi stressed that the purported offers were entirely fraudulent and warned Nigerians against falling prey to the scam.
“The public is hereby notified that these offers are a complete scam. The Agency wishes to categorically state that these fraudulent offers are a malicious gimmick designed solely to defraud targeted individuals of their hard-earned money,” he said.
The agency clarified that none of its officials has the authority to privately allocate or sell seized vehicles or any other assets forfeited to the Federal Government.
“No official of the Agency has the mandate to privately offer, allocate, or sell forfeited vehicles or any other seized assets to individuals.
“Vehicles and other assets forfeited as proceeds of drug crimes are strictly auctioned through public processes managed by appointed, government-registered auctioneers,” Babafemi stated.
He explained that whenever the NDLEA conducts an auction, it is done transparently and only after public announcements through national newspapers and the agency’s official communication platforms, in line with extant laws and public procurement procedures.
The agency urged Nigerians to ignore any letters, text messages, phone calls or social media posts claiming to originate from Haruna or any other NDLEA official offering seized vehicles or assets for sale.
Reaffirming the agency’s commitment to transparency and accountability, Babafemi appealed to the public to promptly report such fraudulent approaches to the nearest NDLEA command or through the agency’s official communication channels.
“The NDLEA remains committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in all its operations.
“Do not fall victim to these criminal elements. If you are approached with such fraudulent offers, please report immediately to the nearest NDLEA command or via our official communication channels,” he added.
