Kehinde Fajobi
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned Nigerians about a fraudulent online empowerment scheme falsely using his name and claiming federal government sponsorship.
In a statement titled “Empowerment Scheme Using Atiku’s Name and Promising N65,000 to Nigerians Is a Scam”, Atiku’s media office in Abuja urged the public to ignore the scheme and called on security agencies to investigate and prosecute those behind it.
Paul Ibe, Atiku’s Media Adviser, clarified that neither Atiku nor his associates are involved in or aware of the scam, which has been circulating aggressively online.
“It has come to our notice that a group claiming to be ‘Travelling Abroad Opportunities’ has been advertising a so-called ‘Atiku Grant by FG’ on social media.
“The purported empowerment scheme is promising to hand out ₦65,000 to successful applicants after they must have filled out an application form and provided their name, account number, and bank.
“For the avoidance of doubt, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President of Nigeria (1999–2007) and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (2023), is not currently running an empowerment scheme that purports to give ₦65,000 to successful applicants.
“Also, there is no organisation related to, connected with, or associated with the former Vice President that is running an empowerment scheme by whatever shape or form.
“The so-called Atiku Grant by FG is a scam, whose objective is to fleece unsuspecting Nigerians of their hard-earned money.
“This is to alert Nigerians not to participate in what is obviously a fraudulent scheme that seeks to hoodwink unsuspecting citizens into thinking that it is a scheme by Atiku Abubakar.
“Even if the Waziri Adamawa was going to embark on such a scheme, he would do so directly and not through a third party that is unknown to Nigerians,” the statement read.
The media office reiterated its call for Nigerians to remain vigilant against such fraudulent activities.