MAU Vice-Chancellor disowns facebook page used for fraudulent requests

The management of a Nigerian university has raised the alarm after fraudsters hijacked the Facebook account of its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ibrahim Umar, and began using it to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the university warned that Professor Umar’s official Facebook account had been compromised and was “currently not in use.” The statement said some individuals were impersonating the Vice-Chancellor online, sending fraudulent messages and requests for money or favours.

“Members of the public are advised to disregard any message, request, or communication from that Facebook account or any other social media account bearing his name and picture,” the university cautioned. “The Vice-Chancellor is not active on Facebook and will never request money, assistance, or personal favours from anyone.”

The institution stressed that all official transactions and payments must be done strictly through approved university channels, warning that anyone who falls for fake requests does so at their own risk.

The management also disclosed that while Professor Umar’s WhatsApp account had been previously compromised, it has since been recovered. However, the public was urged to remain vigilant and exercise extreme caution when dealing with online communications claiming to be from the Vice-Chancellor.

“Even if you believe you have his contact or details, please do not respond to any unsolicited message,” the statement added. “Simply ignore and disregard them.”