National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), has issued a scam alert of scammers posing as personnel of the agency to defraud unsuspecting individuals with claims of arrests of love ones with drugs and demanding millions of naira as bail money.

The scammers, according to the agency, have been in the habit of targeting individuals living abroad by telling them their relations have been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos or some other airport with drugs, then demand for money to free such allege arrested persons..

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi in a statement said this indicates that there is “A new scheme by scammers who impersonate NDLEA officers and call unsuspecting citizens to inform them of the arrest of their relatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja Lagos or any other international airport in Nigeria with illicit drugs upon arrival in the country.

“After throwing the family members into panic, the scammers then make a demand of millions of naira to facilitate the release of such persons from NDLEA custody.

“We have thwarted a number of such bids in the past when the family members called the Agency’s official contacts for help or clarification.

“At the moment, there is one of such scenarios the agency has just investigated. In this case, the picture of a Nigerian man based in the US is being circulated with an audio of a purported NDLEA officer negotiating the payment of N5 million with a female relative for the release of the US-based Nigerian man purportedly arrested at the Lagos airport on Friday 22nd March upon his arrival with a ‘contraband’.”

The agency warns that these are scammers and just like in previous instances have targeted family members living abroad and therefore advised that relatives should learn to keep travel plans of the love ones in wraps to avoid falling prey to such scammers.

“Nigerians with loved ones abroad are also urged to keep discussions on travel plans of their relatives to themselves to avoid the hijack of such by criminal elements for devious schemes.

“No NDLEA officer is involved in the audio conversation and the person whose photo is attached to the audio recording being circulated is not in our custody at MMIA or any of our Commands either as at yesterday or any other day.

“The family members involved in this case are advised not to part with their hard-earned money to scammers.”

The agency has therefore advised those who may have a similar challenge to call and seek clarification through any of these contact lines; +2347064670026 and +2348033326327.