The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has alerted the public to a fraudulent scheme in which scammers are impersonating top officials of the agency to offer cheap forfeited vehicles for sale at auction.
In a statement issued on Friday, the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said criminal elements have been using the name of the Secretary to the agency, Shadrach Haruna, to send fake private letters and messages to unsuspecting members of the public.
“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,” the statement said.
Mr Babafemi said no official of the agency has the mandate to privately offer, allocate, or sell forfeited vehicles or any other seized assets to individuals.
He explained that vehicles and other assets forfeited as proceeds of drug crimes are strictly auctioned through public processes managed by appointed, government-registered auctioneers.
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“Any legitimate auction exercise is widely publicised in national dailies and through the agency’s official channels, in line with established legal and public procurement guidelines.
“Members of the public are strongly urged to discountenance, ignore, and report any such private letters, text messages, or social media offers claiming to originate from Barrister Shadrach Haruna or any other NDLEA official,” he added
The NDLEA said it 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 them immediately to the nearest NDLEA command or via our official communication channels,” he said.
