NDLEA Warns The public Of A New Scam

The public has been alerted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to a concerning new trend in which con artists pose as law enforcement officials.

These fraudsters have been taking advantage of gullible residents, especially those who have loved ones living overseas, by pretending to be Nigerian international airport authorities and accusing them of drug-related offenses.

The NDLEA claims that the con artists make touch with relatives, usually on phone, and make up tales about their alleged arrests at airports like Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport. They then make outrageous demands for payment, frequently in the millions of naira, in order to get the accused detainees released.

Many families have become so alarmed by this complex swindle that they are considering giving in to the scam artists' demands.

The NDLEA has, however, cautioned the public to exercise caution and vigilance, stressing that these calls are phony and that the demands for money are a component of a criminal extortion scheme.

In a recent case that the agency looked into, fraudsters allegedly used the photo of a Nigerian guy living in the US coupled with an audio clip of a fictitious negotiation between a fictitious NDLEA officer and a female relative.

The agency declared that it has continued to use the best methods for controlling public debt and is committed to increasing the country's revenue.

“At the moment, there is one of such scenario the Agency has just investigated. In this case, the picture of a Nigerian man based in the US is being circulated with 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.

Babafemi said, “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 of 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.”