Fake Customs CG arrested over recruitment scam

Abdul-Rahman Ibrahim, a 50-year-old man, has been taken into custody by the Nigeria Customs Service for engaging in fraudulent activities and posing as the Comptroller-General of Customs and other high-ranking government officials.

This was revealed in a statement that the NCS published on its official X handle on Wednesday.

The statement claims that on Monday, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, the NCS spokesperson, disclosed that the suspect's arrest was made feasible by information obtained by the Customs Police Unit.

"The suspect, Abdul-Rahman Ibrahim, was apprehended for his involvement in impersonating the Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, the Chief of Staff to the President, and the Comptroller-General of Customs," the statement said in part.
The suspect has allegedly deceitfully tricked a number of gullible citizens into paying him money in exchange for the issuance of "job appointment letters," extorting more than N1 million from them, according to the National PRO.

"The Nigeria Customs Service is working tirelessly to prevent and combat criminal elements who use the service's name for fraudulent activities, as demonstrated by this arrest."

Ibrahim also admitted to being a part of the fraudulent act and named other people who were involved in the operation, according to the statement. This led to additional investigation and the eventual arrest and prosecution of Ibrahim's accomplices.
The suspect was discovered in possession of several counterfeit documents, including forged introduction letters ostensibly signed by senior government officials, and fictitious appointment letters from the NSCDC and Customs, among others.
It was revealed in June 2023 that Rakiya Musa, a purported impostor woman customs officer, was taken into custody by the Lagos police for allegedly defrauding gullible citizens.

The NCS management also alerted the public to phoney recruitment advertisements shared on social media platforms in December 2023 and revealed that there was no hiring campaign underway within the organisation.