Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt
The Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has warned members of the public, especially in Bayelsa and Rivers states, against falling victims of of scammers offering fake Agricultural Cooperative loans in the name of the commission.
The commission’s Director, Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, said they received many reports from some victims in Bayelsa State, who were deceived by such fraudsters.
He said the scammers made the victims believe that the NDDC was currently running an Agricultural loan scheme, which they were asked to pay N6000 processing fees.
Odili, who spoke in Port Harcourt, said: “These criminals, who claim to be representing officials of the Agriculture and Fisheries Directorate of the NDDC, go to the length of demanding signed blank cheques from their victims.
“The scammers must have taken advantage of the promise made by the NDDC Acting Managing Director, Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei, to promote agriculture in the Niger Delta region.
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“The NDDC boss told Niger Delta youths, who paid a solidarity visit to the Interim Management Committee (IMC) at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt that the Commission was going to put more efforts to make sure that people who were going into agriculture were assisted and given the opportunity to succeed.
“While the NDDC is still working out the details of the agricultural programme, scammers have gone to town to dupe some members of the public.
“We advise those who have genuine businesses with the NDDC to always cross-check their information at the Commission’s official website and other social media handles.
“We warn that anyone claiming to represent the NDDC or its Chief Executive Officer in non-existent programmes must be treated as a criminal and should be reported to security agencies for appropriate sanctions”.
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