The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has warned the public
against activities of scammers offering non-existent agriculture
cooperative loans in the name of the commission.
Mr Charles Odili, NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, said in a
statement in Port Harcourt on Tuesday that the scammers had collected
money from unsuspecting Nigerians to obtain ‘fake’ agric loans.
“NDDC is compelled to alert members of the public, especially those in
Bayelsa and Rivers activities of scammers offering non-existent agric
cooperative loans.
“We have received several reports from some victims in Bayelsa, who were
deceived into believing that NDDC was currently running an agric loan
scheme.
“The victims were asked to pay N6,000 as processing fees for the agric
cooperative loans,” he said.
Odili said the scammers told their victims that they were
representatives of officials of the Agriculture and Fisheries
Directorate of NDDC.
“The criminals, after deceiving members of the public, go to the length
of demanding signed blank cheques from their victims.
“The scammers must have taken advantage of the promise made by NDDC
Managing Director, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, to promote agriculture in
the Niger Delta.
“It is unfortunate that while NDDC is still working out details of the
agric programme, scammers have gone to town to dupe members of the
public,” he added.
The spokesman called on individuals with genuine businesses with NDDC to
always cross-check information from the commission’s website and other
social media handles.
He urged the public to be vigilant to activities of such criminals
parading themselves as representatives of the commission’s managing
director.
“We assure members of the public that relevant security agencies are
already investigating activities of criminals behind the fake loan
offers,” he said.