The Nigerian Army has alerted the public to the activities of fraudsters operating fake social media accounts impersonating senior military officers, particularly on Facebook.

In a statement shared on Sunday through its official X handle, the Army disclosed that cybercriminals had created fake accounts using the identity of the Deputy Chief of Standards and Evaluation (Army), Major General Raymond Utsaha, while displaying the photograph of the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Bamidele Alabi.

The Army said the fraudulent accounts were designed to deceive unsuspecting members of the public through false claims and unauthorised online interactions aimed at extortion and other fraudulent activities.

“The Nigerian Army wishes to categorically state that the said Facebook accounts are fake and were created with malicious intent to defraud individuals through false representations and unauthorised online engagements,” the statement read.

The military authority urged Nigerians to ignore any messages, friend requests, financial demands, or unofficial communications originating from such accounts.

It stressed that senior military officers do not conduct official business, award contracts, seek financial assistance, or manage sensitive military matters through personal social media accounts or unofficial online platforms.

“The general public is urged to remain vigilant and report suspicious accounts or activities to the appropriate security agencies,” the statement added.

The Army further assured that it would continue monitoring cyberspace and take decisive action against individuals and groups involved in impersonation, cyber fraud, and other related criminal activities.