Akwa Ibom warns public against fake Christmas grant scam

The Akwa Ibom State government has alerted the public about a fraudulent link falsely promising a Christmas grant from Governor Umo Eno.

The fake URL, (http://ikbitz.com/AKWA-25k), claims recipients will receive ₦25,000 after answering a series of questions.

In a statement on Saturday, the governor’s spokesperson, Ekerete Udoh, dismissed the link as a scam designed to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.

“We wish to state emphatically that this is the handiwork of scammers, and the link is, therefore, false and made with the express intent to hoodwink unsuspecting members of the public,” Udoh said.

The statement clarified that the only grant currently disbursed by Governor Umo Eno is the Arise Business Support Grant, which provides ₦50,000 to 15,000 unemployed youths across the state.

“We wish to state categorically that the grant Governor Eno gave was the first tranche of the Arise Business Support Grant of 50 thousand Naira each to 15 thousand youths currently unemployed for October, November, and December 2024.

“This was in fulfilment of the promise he made during the Youth Appreciation Rally that took place last September.

“The event, which took place on Thursday, December 19, 2024, was widely covered by the media.

“There is, therefore, no such grant as the alleged ‘Governor Umo Eno 25 thousand Naira Christmas Cash Grant.'”

The government urged members of the public to ignore the scam, as the government has no involvement in it.

Meanwhile, the statement added that security agencies are pursuing the scammers.

The Akwa Ibom State government’s warning comes after a tragic stampede in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday, where more than 5,000 people rushed to enter an event distributing free food and cash. The stampede claimed 35 lives, mostly children, and injured numerous others.