Nigerian Army warns public about fake online recruitment scam

In a human-readable form, the Nigerian Army (NA) has publicly denounced an online advertisement that is being circulated by fraudulent individuals who falsely claim to be conducting recruitment on behalf of the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force.

This announcement was made through a statement issued by Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, on Friday in Abuja. According to Nwachukwu, this deceptive recruitment campaign was orchestrated by unscrupulous individuals using the identity of a fictitious figure named Major-General Gwabin Musa.

The false recruitment advertisement was disseminated through platforms such as Facebook and other social media channels. The individual behind this scam purported to offer assistance to 20 individuals who expressed interest in joining the armed services.

Brigadier-General Nwachukwu clarified that this impersonator has absolutely no affiliation with the Nigerian Army or any branch of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

No recruitment by proxy 

The spokesman said that the army does not conduct recruitment by proxy or through unofficial channels and individuals.

He added that the army conducted her recruitment in line with its policy and guidelines on recruitment, as enshrined in the Harmonised Terms and Conditions Service Soldiers, Rating and Airmen Revised 2017 Edition. 

According to him, army recruitment processes are transparent, well-regulated, and coordinated which include credential screening, medical tests, physical and mental tests, aptitude tests and oral interviews. 

• “The Nigerian army implores members of the public to be vigilant and cautious, when encountering such recruitment offers online. The Nigerian army has designated channels and platforms through which all official recruitment information is disseminated. 
• “It must be emphasised, that the army does not request any form of payment or pecuniary commitment during its recruitment exercises. Any individual or group claiming to represent the NA and demanding payment should be reported immediately. 
• “We are actively working with law enforcement agencies to identify those responsible for this fraudulent activity. We encourage members of the public to assist in the endeavour, by reporting suspicious recruitment offers and individuals to the appropriate authorities. The safety and security of members of the public remain our top priority,” he said. 

Rise in fake recruitment 

In recent times, several agencies of the government have had to issue disclaimers over fraudulent recruitments being advertised through social media.

In some instances, the fraudsters clone the websites of government agencies to trick unsuspecting applicants, who end up submitting all their details.  

According to the National Information Development Agency (NITDA), fake portals are created as tools for phishing attacks. All the information collected from applicants is harvested and used to attack the victims.