The Nigerian Army fake COAS accounts warning urges Nigerians to avoid impostor profiles used for fraud online

The Nigerian Army, through the Acting Director of Army Public Relations Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, warned the general public in Abuja on Friday against Nigerian Army fake COAS accounts impersonating the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, on social media for fraudulent purposes.

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Lieutenant Colonel Anele said the Army had observed a disturbing rise in the activities of unscrupulous individuals creating and operating fake online profiles falsely linked to the Chief of Army Staff.

The Army stressed that Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu does not operate or maintain any official social media account on any platform and said any account claiming otherwise is fake and should be ignored.

The statement urged members of the public to remain vigilant, warning that the impostor accounts are commonly used to defraud unsuspecting individuals, solicit money and spread misinformation under the guise of the Nigerian Army.

The Army advised Nigerians not to engage with, respond to or share content from such accounts, saying that interaction could expose individuals to scams and other criminal activities.

Officials said necessary steps were being taken to identify and apprehend those responsible, with the intention of prosecuting offenders in line with existing laws.

The statement also reassured citizens of the Army’s unwavering commitment to protecting lives and property and safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity in accordance with the Constitution.

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The warning comes amid a broader surge in online impersonation of public officials, which security agencies say is becoming an increasingly sophisticated and dangerous form of cyber-enabled crime.