The Nigerian Army has raised an alarm over the growing impersonation of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, on social media platforms.
According to the Director Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the imposters are using the COAS’s official portrait as their profile picture to deceive unsuspecting individuals.
Nwachukwu stated, “The Nigerian Army has been inundated with complaints of increasing number of imposters, claiming to be the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, on various social media platforms.” He further emphasized that this is not the first time imposters have attempted to impersonate the COAS on social media platforms to dupe the public.
The imposters have adopted a new tactic, where they fix virtual meetings on platforms like Zoom, WhatsApp, and Facebook, requesting participants to share specific numbers displayed on their screens. These numbers are then used to engage with participants individually and defraud them.
The Nigerian Army has identified over 23 mobile numbers used by these fraudsters to defraud the public using the COAS’s name. Nwachukwu warned the public to be cautious, stating, “While the Nigerian Army, like other sister services of the Armed Forces, have peculiar ways of communication known to all officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, members of the public must be wary of the danger posed by these imposters”.
By being vigilant and taking these precautions, the public can avoid falling victim to these impersonation scams.
