Reports have it that Suspected fraudsters have hacked the WhatsApp number of Umo Eno, the governor of Nigeria’s oil-rich Akwa Ibom state, and asked his contacts for money.
The governor, a pastor who founded the All Nations Christian Ministry International, was elected last year.
Many of Mr Eno’s phone contacts received messages from his WhatsApp number on Tuesday asking them to transfer a specified amount of money to an account and promising reimbursement later.
The governor’s chief press secretary, Ekerete Udoh released a statement confirming that the governor’s WhatsApp number was “cloned” by criminals attempting to defraud unsuspecting individuals.
Mr Udoh said law enforcement agencies had been notified.
“We hereby warn that any message appearing to solicit funds by these imposters should be totally discountenanced by the general public as they do not emanate from the Governor,” the statement read.
Despite a massive clampdown in recent years, with the financial crimes agency EFCC arresting thousands of people, cyber-fraud popularly called “Yahoo-Yahoo” remains a big problem in Nigeria.
