Alleged N30trn scam: Fraudsters impersonating committee members —Senate

The Senate on Thursday alerted the public that some individuals were impersonating members of its committee investigating alleged N30 trillion import and export chain scam.

The Chairman of the Joint Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine Transport, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, raised the alarm in a statement in Abuja.

The Joint Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine Transport thereby urged all organizations being investigated by the committee for alleged infractions at the nation’s ports to be circumspect so as not to fall victim of “unscrupulous individuals” fronting themselves as members of the committee.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Hope Uzodinma, handed down this admonition against the backdrop of agents claiming to be staff of the committee to solicit favours from or ask the concerned organizations to pay monies.

In the statement, Uzodinma dissociated itself from asking for favours from the affected organizations, adding that it was only keen on investigating the alleged infractions leading to massive revenue leakages at the nation’s Ports and helping government recover those funds.

He therefore urged the companies to identify those imposters and criminals and promptly report them to the relevant security agencies.

“It has come to the notice of the Joint Senate Committee on Customs, Excise & Tariff and Marine Transport investigating alleged infractions at the nation’s Ports that some unscrupulous individuals are busy parading themselves to companies and organisations under investigation as staff of the Committee with the intent to extort monies from them.”

“Let it be made abundantly clear that our Committee has no single person or agent holding brief for us on this all-important National assignment. Any individual or individuals claiming to be staff of the Committee and soliciting favours or asking Companies to pay monies are nothing but impostors and criminals who should be promptly reported to the relevant security agencies and promptly arrested.”

“The Senate Joint Committee was set up by the Senate with a strong mandate to investigate infractions leading to massive revenue leakages at the nation’s Ports and help government recover those funds.”

“Our mandate is not to serve as revenue collection agency for the federal government but to unearth infractions and subsequently direct the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies to recover such funds and return them back to the nation’s coffers.”

“All organisations currently under investigation by the Joint Senate Committee should be fully guided please.”