Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has sounded the alarm over a dangerous scam in which criminal syndicates have allegedly cloned his voice to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, the fraudsters are impersonating the SGF, reaching out to high-profile individuals and members of the public with bogus promises of federal government appointments — for a fee.
“From information available to the office, the fraudsters cloned the voice of the SGF, using it to solicit money in return for federal appointments,” the statement read.
The syndicate reportedly uses fake phone numbers, cloned emails, and bank account details to trick victims into transferring large sums — ranging between ₦5 million and ₦15 million — while requesting their CVs for the fake roles.
Akume, who completely dissociated himself from the scheme, stressed that all appointment processes into federal boards and parastatals are transparent and merit-based, urging Nigerians to ignore any such solicitations and never pay to secure government positions.
The SGF’s office revealed that some of the scammers’ bank accounts are linked to both traditional banks and popular mobile money platforms, raising concerns about the ease of financial fraud.
“The Office of the SGF has been inundated with enquiries relating to these scams. We are urging the public to be vigilant,” Odunuga stated.
Security agencies have been alerted, and Akume called on Nigerians to report such fraudulent activities promptly to prevent further exploitation.
