Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC), has condemned what it called “desperate attempt by some nondescript internet fraudsters to desecrate the character and personae of its group managing director, Engr. Andrew Yakubu.”
In statement in Abuja yesterday, by Mr. Ohi Alegbe, group general manager, public affairs division, which was made available to newsmen, the corporation noted that some hackers and internet scam artists had also broken into the personal email account of the NNPC GMD, and have been using the account to send all manners of scam letters and phantom contract deals to some highly placed contacts within and outside the oil and gas industry.
The NNPC statement further disclosed that few days earlier, some online news sites were intermittently flashing strange icon which had the photograph of the NNPC GMD juxtaposed with some members of the House of Representatives under the caption “The blackmailers’’.
“While we explore all options to arrest this menace, we wish to advise members of the public to disregard any such seemingly juicy voodoo contract proposals said to be emanating from the email address of Engr. Andrew Yakubu or any other email address. Anybody who commits to such transaction is doing so at his own risk,’’ the NNPC said.
On the strange online icon, the NNPC blamed it on the handiwork of some desperate individuals who are bent on tarnishing the image and hard earned reputation of its group managing director. It notes that Engr. Andrew Yakubu is neither a politician nor one whose temperament is given to ‘’political chicanery’’.
While calling on the public to discountenance the campaign against the GMD, the corporation informed that facts available indicates that the campaign of calumny is likely to continue in the electronic and print media in the days and months ahead.