A businessman has narrated how he narrowly escaped losing millions of naira after suspected internet fraudsters allegedly impersonated the Rector of Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, to lure him into a fake laptop procurement contract worth about ₦170 million. According to his account, the incident began on April 13 when the suspects contacted a female laptop dealer through WhatsApp, claiming to represent the Rector of the institution, Dr. Henry Ojobo. They allegedly informed her that the Federal Government had approved the mass procurement of Lenovo V14 and V15 laptops for the polytechnic.
The woman, who had experience selling laptops but not handling large procurement contracts, reportedly referred the opportunity to the businessman, whose company specializes in logistics and procurement services. He said the suspects appeared highly knowledgeable about government procurement processes, presenting what seemed to be convincing details and documentation. To further build trust, they allegedly discussed profit-sharing arrangements and introduced a supposed official from the Federal Ministry of Education who demanded about ₦15 million as a bribe to facilitate the release of funds.
According to the businessman, he became suspicious after the alleged ministry official repeatedly pressured him to make an immediate payment or risk losing the contract. Rather than proceed, he decided to independently verify the identity of the supposed Rector. His investigations led him to a senior official at Benue State Polytechnic, who confirmed that the WhatsApp number and Facebook account being used had no connection with the institution or its Rector. The businessman said he immediately reported the phone numbers to the appropriate security authorities, leading to an investigation. He also claimed to have later discovered that another acquaintance in Kaduna had allegedly fallen victim to a similar scheme, losing about ₦17 million.
According to him, the investigation eventually resulted in the arrest of the suspected fraudsters. He alleged that they were apprehended while living extravagantly in a luxury hotel and were found with expensive vehicles. The businessman said he shared his experience to warn Nigerians, particularly entrepreneurs and contractors, about increasingly sophisticated procurement scams that exploit fake government contracts and impersonation of public officials. He urged individuals and businesses to verify the identities of public office holders through official channels before making any financial commitment or payment in connection with government contracts.
