The Nigerian Army (NA) has dismissed as fake, an online advert by fraudulent individuals claiming to be conducting recruitment on behalf of the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, on Friday in Abuja. Nwachukwu said the fake recruitment was done by dubious individuals in the name of one Maj.-Gen. Gwabin Musa.
He said it was published on Facebook and other social media platforms, where the said individual offered to assist 20 interested persons with any of the services.
Nwachukwu said the impostor was not in any way associated with the Nigerian army or any of the services 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.
