The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)?on Thursday?alerted?the?public on the activities of fraudsters using?the names of ranking officials of the agency to obtain money from unsuspecting Nigerians.
This is contained in a?statement issued by the Acting Head, Media and?Publicity, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, in Abuja.
It stated that?there had?been reported cases of “criminals'' using the name of the commission’s Director of Operations, Mr Olaolu Adegbite.
The statement said the fraudsters also used the name of the?Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, to extort money from persons purported to have pending petitions before the commission.
“The commission?wishes to remind the public that it is not the practice for its officials to
seek payment or other forms of gratification from anyone, be he/she under investigation or not.
“The?public is?advised to report any solicitation for bribes in any guise by persons claiming to be officials?of the commission to any of its offices in Abuja and across the zones or to the nearest police station.''
The statement added that the commission was intensifying efforts to track down?those behind the illegal solicitations.
It would be recalled that on?Oct.?26, 2011, the EFCC issued a similar alert to the public to beware of fraudsters who posed as EFCC officials.
Earlier, the immediate past?spokesman of the commission,?Mr Femi Babafemi, had told newsmen?in Abuja that four former governors, some legislators and House of Representatives members had been swindled of several millions of naira.
Babafemi?said that three members of the syndicate had been busted by operatives of the EFCC.
He named?one?of the fraudsters as?Muhammed Alameen, said to be going about with four different names and lying?that he was?related to?the late President Umaru Yar'Adua and?Vice President Namadi Sambo.
The EFCC said?Alameen, who was arrested in the Tudun Wada area of Kaduna, was said to have swindled one of his victims of N50 million before he was arrested. (NAN)