The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has alerted Nigerians to a fraudulent scheme in which scammers are impersonating senior officials of the agency to offer fake auction sales of forfeited vehicles.
The warning was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, the fraudsters have been using the names of top NDLEA officials, particularly the Secretary to the Agency, Shadrach Haruna, to circulate fake letters and messages claiming to offer forfeited vehicles at discounted prices.
The NDLEA described the offers as a scam aimed at defrauding unsuspecting members of the public.
It stressed that no official of the agency is authorised to privately allocate or sell forfeited vehicles or any other seized assets.
The agency explained that all vehicles and assets forfeited as proceeds of drug-related offences are disposed of only through public auction processes conducted by government-approved auctioneers.
It added that any legitimate auction is publicly advertised in national newspapers and through the agency’s official communication channels in line with legal and public procurement guidelines.
The NDLEA urged members of the public to disregard any private letters, text messages or social media posts claiming to offer auctioned vehicles on behalf of the agency or any of its officials.
It also advised anyone approached with such offers to report the matter to the nearest NDLEA command or through the agency’s official communication channels.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and integrity in its operations while warning Nigerians not to fall victim to the activities of fraudsters.
