The Senate on Thursday alerted the public that some individuals were impersonating members of its committee investigating alleged N30 trillion import and export chain scam.
The Chairman of the Joint Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine Transport, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, raised the alarm in a statement in Abuja.
He said the impostors were parading themselves to the companies being investigated over the alleged fraud as staff of the committee with the intent of extorting money from them.
”Let it be made abundantly clear that our committee has no person or agent holding brief for us on this all-important national assignment.
”Any individual or individuals claiming to be staff of the committee and soliciting favours or asking companies to pay money are impostors and criminals who should be promptly reported to relevant security agencies and promptly arrested.
”The committee was set up by the Senate with a strong mandate to investigate infractions leading to massive revenue leakages at the nation’s ports and help government recover those funds.
”Our mandate is not to serve as revenue collection agency for the Federal Government, but to unearth infractions and subsequently direct the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies to recover such funds,” he said.
Uzodinma called on all companies currently under investigation by the committee to be fully guided.