The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has advised individuals and corporate bodies, locally and internationally, to be wary of fraudsters parading themselves as officials of the corporation.
A statement release on Saturday in Abuja by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, said the warning came in the wake of claims by a group of dubious individuals to be representing “a Gas and Power Committee” of the corporation, hosting a chief executive of a United Kingdom based company in a purported “office of NNPC” in Abuja recently.
“One of the miscreants had claimed the identity of NNPC Chief Operation Officer (COO), Gas and Power, Engr. Yusuf Usman, all in an attempt to defraud the unsuspecting company based in Salehurst, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, UK,” the statement said.
Mr. Ughamadu said the unsuspecting UK entity was saved from an ordeal when it reached out to the corporation’s London Office to authenticate the swindlers’ identity, following the difficulties the company had experienced in reconnecting with the conmen on telephone.
According to the Corporation’s spokesman, one of the miscreants had given the unsuspecting UK company a fake call card of NNPC COO, Gas and Power, Engr. Usman.
Mr. Ughamadu advised individuals and corporate bodies, in their own interest, to verify the identity of any officials of NNPC from relevant units of the corporation before making commitments to avoid falling into the trap of swindlers.
