The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has issued a public alert regarding a new scam targeting individuals who have loved ones traveling abroad.
Scammers are impersonating NDLEA officers and contacting unsuspecting citizens, claiming that their relatives have been arrested at international airports in Nigeria with illicit drugs.
Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja, issued the warning in a statement on Saturday. He explained that the scammers instill panic in family members by falsely informing them of the arrest of their relatives at airports such as the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.
According to Babafemi, after creating a sense of urgency, the scammers proceed to demand large sums of money, often in the millions, to facilitate the release of the purportedly detained individuals from NDLEA custody.
The NDLEA cautioned family members involved in such situations against falling victim to the scam, urging them not to part with their money.
“We have thwarted a number of such bids in the past when the family members called the Agency’s official contacts for help or clarification.
“At the moment, there is one of such scenarios the Agency has just investigated. In this case, the picture of a Nigerian man based in the US is being circulated with an audio of a purported NDLEA officer negotiating the payment of N5 million with a female relative for the release of the US-based Nigerian man purportedly arrested at the Lagos airport on Friday 22nd March upon his arrival with a ‘contraband’
“Just like in previous instances, our investigation has also shown that the current incident is the work of scammers.
“No NDLEA officer is involved in the audio conversation and the person whose photo is attached to the audio recording being circulated is not in our custody at MMIA or any of our Commands either as at yesterday or any other day. The family members involved in this case are advised not to part with their hard-earned money to scammers.
“Nigerians with loved ones abroad are also urged to keep discussions on travel plans of their relatives to themselves to avoid the hijack of such by criminal elements for devious schemes,” Babafemi said.
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