A 28-year-old man, who has been defrauding unsuspecting Nigerians in the name of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has met his Waterloo.
Abubakar Ibrahim was arrested in NCS uniform on 29 April 2024, at Next Level Hotel in Sokoto State, and has been handed over to the Customs Police Unit, Sokoto-Zamfara Command for discreet investigation.
This development was contained in a statement issued by the Customs Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘B’, SC Isah Sulaiman, on behalf of the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Compt. Ahmadu Bello Shuaibu.
According to the statement, the suspect would be arraigned in court in line with the extant laws.
Giving an insight into the successful apprehension of the suspect, the unit’s spokesman said, “After a period of trailing and investigation, the operatives of the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘B’, relying on robust intelligence and collaboration with the Nigeria Police, Sokoto State Command, arrested Mr Abubakar Ibrahim on 29th April 2024 at Next Level Hotel in Sokoto State”.
Comptroller Shu’aibu, however, appreciated the Nigeria Police, Sokoto State Command, for their cooperation and swift response, leading to the arrest of the culprit, and has urged members of the public to disregard any social media account requesting money for recruitment or auction.
According to the statement, the Nigeria Customs Service does not collect money for such exercises.
The CAC reiterated the unit’s commitment to arresting and prosecuting fraudulent elements, who parade themselves as officers or men of the Nigeria Customs Service on social media and other platforms.
Shu’aibu also advised members of the public “to follow only verified social media accounts of the NCS with the blue tick like Nigeria Customs Service on Facebook, @CustomsNG on X, (formerly Twitter), and other platforms, including a recently created WhatsApp Channel”.
In the same vein, the CAC called on members of the public to feel free to visit the nearest public relations unit of any Customs command for clarification on any issue concerning the Service.
Eighteen-Eleven Media