The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has warned Nigerians to be wary of fraudulent auction offers being circulated by scammers impersonating top officials of the agency to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the agency said the fraudsters have been using the name of the NDLEA Secretary, Barrister Shadrach Haruna, to send fake letters and messages offering forfeited vehicles for sale at discounted prices.
The agency stressed that the purported auction offers are entirely fraudulent and should be ignored.
“These fraudulent offers are a malicious gimmick designed solely to defraud targeted individuals of their hard-earned money,” the statement said.
The NDLEA clarified that no official of the agency is authorised to privately allocate, sell, or offer forfeited vehicles or any other seized assets to individuals.
According to the agency, all vehicles and assets forfeited as proceeds of drug-related crimes are disposed of only through transparent public auction processes conducted by government-approved auctioneers.
“Any legitimate auction exercise is widely publicised in national newspapers and through the Agency’s official channels, in line with established legal and public procurement guidelines,” the statement added.
The anti-narcotics agency urged members of the public to disregard any private letters, text messages, or social media posts claiming to offer forfeited vehicles on behalf of Barrister Haruna or any other NDLEA official.
It also advised anyone approached with such offers to promptly report the incident to the nearest NDLEA command or through the agency’s official communication channels.
Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and accountability, the NDLEA urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and avoid falling victim to the activities of fraudsters posing as agency officials
