The Imo State Government has warned its indigenes planning to return to the state during the Christmas and New Year celebrations to avoid falling for a deceptive travel offer aimed at exploiting them by some suspected fraudsters.
Oguwike Nwachuku, the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma, issued this warning in a statement made available to TheNigerian Metro on Sunday.
According to him, some suspected fraudsters have devised a scheme targeting unsuspecting individuals, offering free transport from Lagos to various towns in Imo State, including Owerri, Okigwe, and Orlu, under the false pretence of a government-backed initiative.
Sounding the alarm on Sunday, Nwachuku revealed that the perpetrators had circulated a fake press release, falsely claiming it was issued by his office to lend credibility to their fraudulent plan.
He clarified that the statement offering free buses for Imo indigenes travelling home for the holidays, with departure dates of December 24, 2024, for the trip to Imo, and January 4, 2025, for the return journey to Lagos, was both false and fraudulent.
The CPS denied involvement in the scheme, warning the public that the travel offer was “false and deceptive, and it could not have come from the government.
“The Office of the Chief Press Secretary/Special Adviser Media to the Governor did not issue any statement on the trending fraudulent travel plan,” Nwachuku stated.
He further warned the traveling indigenes of the state across Nigeria not to fall for the scam.
He urged those planning to travel home for the holidays to remain vigilant and not engage with the fraudulent scheme, warning that their safety and security could be at risk if they do.
The statement partly read, “Therefore, the general public, particularly Imolites who live in Lagos and any other part of the country and who intend to be home for the Yuletide, should not take the statement and the authors seriously, as they will be doing so at their peril.”
