The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has issued a warning regarding a hacking incident involving his account.
A fraudster has taken control of his account and is sending messages to his contacts, soliciting funds and directing them to pay into two Wema Bank accounts: Arcadia Hospitality, account numbers 9945807774 and 9949889589.
Lokpobiri emphasized that these messages are not from him and he has no involvement in the requests. He urged the public to disregard these messages and verify any suspicious communication through legitimate means before taking action.
The minister’s statement read, “It has come to my attention that my account has been hacked, and the perpetrator is currently sending out fraudulent messages in my name… I want to make it explicitly clear that these messages are not from me, and I have no involvement in any such requests.”
Lokpobiri also called on Wema Bank to investigate the accounts and prevent further exploitation. He appealed to security agencies to intervene promptly and investigate the matter, citing the significant threat it poses to those receiving the fraudulent messages.
He added, “I call on @wemabank to carry out due diligence on the aforementioned account to prevent further exploitation, while appealing to the appropriate security agencies to intervene promptly and investigate this matter, as it poses a significant threat to those receiving these fraudulent messages.”
As a seasoned politician, Lokpobiri has held various roles, including Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development and Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District.