The Nigerian Army has issued a warning to the public about bogus social media accounts that pose as senior military personnel on Facebook in particular.
The army claimed in a statement sent on Sunday on its official X handle that scammers had made phony profiles using the photo of Major General Bamidele Alabi, the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), and impersonating Major General Raymond Utsaha, the Deputy Chief of Standards and Evaluation (Army).
The Army claims that the accounts were made with the purpose of misleading and scamming gullible people by making false claims and engaging in unapproved internet interactions.
The statement stated, “The Nigerian Army wishes to categorically state that the aforementioned Facebook accounts are fake and were created with malicious intent to defraud individuals through false representations and unauthorized online engagements.”
Any correspondence, friend requests, financial requests, or unofficial interactions coming from the accounts should be ignored, the army warned the public.
It also reaffirmed that top military personnel do not use unofficial or personal social media sites to handle sensitive government matters, award contracts, request financial help, or conduct official transactions.
The statement continued, “The public is urged to remain vigilant and report suspicious accounts or activities to the appropriate security agencies.”
Additionally, the army declared that it will keep an eye on and take appropriate action against people or organizations engaged in fraudulent activities and cyber impersonation.
