The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has warned the public to beware of fraudulent recruitment and auction schemes being circulated online, especially on social media.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, NCS spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada said scammers have been impersonating top customs officials, including the comptroller-general and other senior officers, both serving and retired, to deceive Nigerians.
“We’ve seen a disturbing rise in fake social media accounts using the names and photos of customs officials to falsely offer jobs and auction opportunities,” Maiwada said.
He emphasized that the NCS does not carry out recruitment or auction activities via social media platforms and described the scams as deliberate efforts to exploit unsuspecting citizens.
Maiwada also disclosed that the service recently arrested a suspect, Okoli Boniface, on June 16 for allegedly impersonating a presidential aide and attempting to manipulate the recruitment process.
“The case was fully investigated and confirmed as a calculated attempt to compromise the integrity of the recruitment exercise,” he said.
The customs spokesman described the arrest as evidence of the agency’s zero-tolerance approach to fraud and reaffirmed its commitment to transparent operations.
He advised Nigerians to rely only on official NCS communication channels for accurate information regarding recruitment and auctions, and assured the public that the service will continue to track and prosecute individuals attempting to undermine its credibility.