The Nigerian Army has alerted members of the public to the existence of fake social media accounts falsely claiming to belong to, or be associated with, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Appolonia Anele, via the Nigerian Army’s X handle, the military said it had observed a surge in the activities of fraudsters creating and operating bogus online profiles in the name of the COAS.
The Army clarified that the Chief of Army Staff does not operate or maintain any official social media account on any platform, stressing that any account making such claims is fraudulent and should be ignored.
It warned that the fake accounts are often used to deceive unsuspecting members of the public, solicit money and spread false information under the guise of the Nigerian Army.
Members of the public were advised not to engage with, respond to or share content from such accounts, as doing so could expose them to scams and other criminal activities.
The Army added that efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest those behind the fake accounts, with a view to prosecuting them in line with existing laws.
The statement also reassured Nigerians of the military’s continued commitment to safeguarding lives and property, as well as defending the nation’s territorial integrity in accordance with the Constitution.
