Tunde Bakare
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has drawn attention of the public over a surge in online scams involving fake recruitment and auction offers falsely linked to the Service.
The Service therefore urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid falling victim to fraudsters.
During a briefing held at the Service’s headquarters in Abuja, the National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, expressed concern over the growing trend of criminals impersonating senior Customs officials on social media to deceive unsuspecting citizens.
“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.
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 stated that the NCS recently arrested one Mr Okoli Okana Boniface on 16 June 2025, 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 stated.
He described the arrest as evidence of the Service’s commitment to upholding the credibility of its operations and reaffirmed the agency’s zero-tolerance policy on fraud. Further investigations are underway to uncover similar cases.
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,” he said.
Reiterating the Comptroller-General’s position, Maiwada concluded, “The Nigeria Customs Service remains committed to identifying, exposing, and prosecuting those who seek to compromise our operations through deceit.”