By Damola Emmanuel
A close aide of the former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Mallam Salman Yusuf, has urged Nigerians to beware of internet fraudsters and identity thieves using the name and picture of the former Head of State to misinform and defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.
Yusuf gave the advice in Minna, the Niger State capital, Saturday, saying that fraudsters masquerading as Babangida are on the prowl in social media, sending and selling political messages to unsuspecting Nigerians, ascribing them to the man Nigerians popularly call IBB, all in the name of politics.
The former Nigerian leader can never send messages on social media since he does not operate any social media account in the first place, Yusuf said emphatically.
“Our attention has been drawn to a plethora of fake social media accounts, especially Facebook, bearing General Babangida’s names and photos,” Salman Yusuf alerted. “We wish to state that IBB has never owned nor operated any social media account, and he does not intend to operate any now or in the near future.
“The surfeit of Facebook accounts bearing his photos and names are fake.
“The fake accounts are the creation of identity thieves and cyber fraudsters, local and international, who steal the identity of prominent people to defraud, misinform and commit heinous crimes against Nigerians and foreigners alike.
“General Babangida does not comment on national issues on social media. That is absolutely unnecessary because there are official channels available to him to communicate his stand on any national issue to the authorities. Besides, he has unfettered access to several credible mainstream media that he can talk to any time he feels strong about any matter.”
Yusuf, on behalf of General Babangida, therefore, implored the general public, indeed, all Nigerians, “to please ignore the warped imaginations and antics of cyber criminals who do not mean well for our great country.”
He also restated the former Military President’s faith in the sovereignty and indivisibility of Nigeria, saying: “General Babangida’s faith in Nigeria is unshakeable, and he is optimistic that as a people, we shall overcome our current national challenges if we do not grow weary and if we resolve to get our leadership question right.”
Yusuf also quoted IBB as urging “Nigerians to get involved in the democratic process, conduct themselves peacefully, and exercise their constitutional rights by voting for candidates of their choice in the coming general elections.”