The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has warned Nigerians against a fraudulent scheme in which scammers are impersonating senior officials of the agency to offer fake auctions of forfeited vehicles.
In a statement issued on Friday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s spokesperson, said the fraudsters have been using the name of Shadrach Haruna, the agency’s secretary, to send fake letters and messages offering forfeited vehicles at discounted prices.
According to Babafemi, the offers are fraudulent and are intended to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
He said no official of the agency is authorised to privately offer, allocate or sell forfeited vehicles or any other seized assets to individuals.
Babafemi noted that vehicles and other assets forfeited as proceeds of drug-related crimes are disposed of only through public auction processes conducted by government-approved auctioneers.
He added that any legitimate auction is widely advertised in national newspapers and through the agency’s official communication channels in line with legal and public procurement requirements.
The NDLEA spokesperson urged members of the public to disregard any private letters, text messages or social media posts claiming to offer forfeited vehicles on behalf of Haruna or any other official of the agency.
He also advised anyone approached with such offers to report the matter to the nearest NDLEA command or through the agency’s official communication channels.
He reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and integrity in the disposal of forfeited assets and cautioned Nigerians against falling victim to the scam.
