GOVERNMENT OF IMO STATE
PRESS RELEASE
Fraudsters move to defraud home-bound Imo residents in Lagos
A group of persons believed to be fraudsters, and poised to take advantage of the massive return of Imo indigenes resident in Lagos for the Yuletide, has devised devious means to defraud the unsuspected ones among them in the guise of providing them with free transportation from Lagos to Owerri, Okigwe and Orlu.
To make their devilish intention look real, they have raised a press statement they purport was issued from my office for such a project.
In their warped imagination, they have deliberately fixed December 24, 2024 and January 4, 2025, as the days their prey and unsuspecting home-bound Lagos residents should approach them for a trip back home and return trip back to Lagos respectively.
Below is part of their poorly written press statement:
“The buses are free for Imolites from *Lagos to Imo State on *24th December* and back to Lagos on *4th January* .
“Interested persons should please call *(ISTDAL)* *08033255565, 08092362966* or *07089303866* for seats reservation.
“Please the buses are free and is on first come accreditation bases, once the seats are fully booked, the registration closes, ( *_PLS DO NOT PAY ANYBODY ONE KOBO_)*
“Please the buses are *NOT LUXURY BUSES* , so only passengers with a small sizable luggages will be allowed. (no big boxes or load is allowed).
“The buses will leave on *Tuesday 24th December* at exactly *7.15am* to *Owerri, Okigwe and Orlu.*
“The departure point will be made available after your registration, *(if you are not captured on accreditation, pls don’t bother coming as only accreditated passengers are allowed)* and please indicate your direction.
“*Note: the bus will not stop or drop any passenger until it passes Ihiala unto Imo State.*
“Thanks and best regards.”
For the avoidance of doubt, the Office of the Chief Press Secretary/Special Adviser Media to the Governor did not issue any statement on the trending fraudulent travel plan.
The statement is both false and deceptive, and could not have emanated from the government.
Therefore, the general public, and particularly Imolites who live in Lagos and any other part of the country and who intend to be home for the Yuletide should not take the statement and the authors seriously as they will be doing so at their own peril.
Please, be properly guided.
Oguwike Nwachuku
Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to the Governor
December 22, 2024.
