The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has issued a public alert regarding a new fraudulent scheme targeting unsuspecting citizens, where scammers impersonate NDLEA officers to extort money from individuals under false pretenses.
According to Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, perpetrators of the scam contact citizens, claiming that their relatives have been apprehended at international airports, such as the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, for possession of illicit drugs upon arrival from abroad.
Babafemi explained that after inducing panic among family members, the scammers demand large sums of money, often in the millions, to facilitate the release of the purportedly detained individuals from NDLEA custody.
He said: “We have thwarted a number of such bids in the past when the family members called the Agency’s official contacts for help or clarification.
“At the moment, there is one of such scenarios the Agency has just investigated. In this case, the picture of a Nigerian man based in the US is being circulated with an 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.
“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 at 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.”
