By Nkechi Eze
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has raised an alarm over an upsurge in online scams involving fraudulent recruitment and auction advertisements falsely linked to the agency. The Service issued the warning during a press briefing held at its headquarters in Abuja on Friday, June 20, 2025.
Addressing journalists, the National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, condemned the growing trend of cybercriminals impersonating senior Customs officials, including the Comptroller-General and other top personnel, to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.
Maiwada described the scams as “criminal acts aimed at tarnishing the Service’s reputation and defrauding innocent Nigerians,” stressing that the Nigeria Customs Service does not conduct recruitment or auction exercises via social media platforms.
According to him, the NCS recently apprehended one Mr. Okoli Okana Boniface on June 16, 2025, for allegedly attempting to manipulate the recruitment process while falsely claiming to be an aide to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. He revealed that the Customs Police Unit investigated the matter and confirmed it as a calculated attempt to compromise the integrity of the Service’s recruitment exercise.
“The arrest serves as proof of our unwavering commitment to ensuring transparency and credibility in all our operations,” Maiwada stated, while assuring that further investigations are ongoing to expose other individuals involved in similar fraudulent schemes.
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant, verify any employment or auction-related information through the Service’s official communication channels, and ignore messages from unverified sources.
Reiterating the stance of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Maiwada said the Service remains committed to exposing and prosecuting those who attempt to compromise its processes through deceit.
“The Nigeria Customs Service will not relent in identifying and bringing to justice all those who seek to exploit the trust of Nigerians for criminal gain,” he declared.
