Online empowerment scheme designed to defraud, he says
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has sounded the alarm an online empowerment scheme falsely using his name and claiming sponsorship by the federal government, with a promise to give N65,000 to each successful applicant.
A statement issued by the former Vice President, signed by his Media Adviser Paul Ibe warned the public and urged security agencies to investigate and prosecute those behind the fraudulent scheme.
Ibe tressed that neither Atiku nor his aides has any involvement or prior knowledge of the scam been aggressively promoted online.
“It has come to our notice that a group claiming to be ‘Travelling Abroad Opportunities’ has been advertising a so-called “Atiku Grant by FG” on social media, the statement said.
“The purported empowerment scheme is promising to hand out N65,000 to successful applicants after they must have filled out an application form and provided their name, account number, and bank.
“For the avoidance of doubt, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President of Nigeria (1999-2007) and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (2023), is not currently running an empowerment scheme that purports to give N65,000 to successful applicants. Also, there is no organisation related to, connected with, and associated with the former Vice President that is running an empowerment scheme by whatever shape or form.
“The so-called Atiku Grant by FG is a scam, which objective is to fleece unsuspecting Nigerians of their hard-earned money; this is to alert Nigerians not to participate in what is obviously a fraudulent scheme that seeks to hoodwink unsuspecting citizens into thinking that it is a scheme by Atiku Abubakar.
“Even if the Waziri Adamawa was going to embark on such a scheme, he would do so directly and not through a third party that is unknown to Nigerians.”
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