10th January, 2025
By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
The Nigeria Police Force has affirmed that claims in some reports that fraudsters hacked into an account belonging to Enugu State Government and stole the sum of N1.9 billion is false and completely unfounded.
Some websites and blogs had on Wednesday published stories alleging that fraudsters hacked into Enugu State Government account and stole the sum of N1.9 billion.
But the Police said the story was entirely baseless, while Enugu State Government has not reacted to the claim.
“There has been no hacking of the Enugu State Government’s account, and the allegations of a theft amounting to N1.09 billion are entirely baseless,” Olumuyi Adejobi, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force said in a statement seen on the police official X handle early Friday morning.
Rather, Adejobi said a case of theft of N1.09 billion which was investigated by the police was about procurement fraud and not cyber fraud.
The Force spokesman added that the suspect involved in the procurement fraud has been arrested and the stolen funds have been recovered from him.
He added that the funds have been returned to the Enugu state government.
“The case, which was investigated by the NPF-National Cyber Crime Centre (NCCC), was a case of procurement fraud, not a cyber-breach.
“The suspect has been arrested in connection with this fraud, and the funds have already been recovered. The Enugu State Government and other ministries, departments, and agencies of government and corporate firms are in partnership with the NCCC and have established comprehensive and fortified security protocols to safeguard their financial systems.
“Citizens are hereby encouraged to refrain from engaging in misinformation and to always verify the credibility of news sources,” the Force Public Relations Officer concluded.
