The Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC has raised an alarm over what it described as a desperate attempt by some nondescript internet fraudsters to desecrate the character and personae of its Group Managing Director, Engr. Andrew Yakubu.    

According to a press release signed by Group General Manager Group Public Affairs Division NNPC, Ohi Alegbe, some hackers and internet scam artists had broken into Yakubu’s personal email account early on Wednesday and have been using the account to send all manners of scam letters and phantom contract deals to some highly placed contacts within and outside the oil and gas industry.

NNPC stated that few days earlier, some online news sites were intermittently flashing a strange icon which had the photograph of the NNPC GMD juxtaposed with some members of the House of Representatives under the caption “The blackmailers’’.

“While we explore all options to arrest this menace, we wish to advise members of the public to disregard any such seemingly juicy voodoo contract proposals said to be emanating from the email address of Engr. Andrew Yakubu or any other email address. Anybody who commits to such transaction is doing so at his own risk,’’ Alegbe said in the press release.

On the strange online icon, the NNPC said it is the handiwork of some desperate individuals who are bent on tarnishing Yakubu’s image and hard earned reputation.

Alegbe noted that Engr. Andrew Yakubu is neither a politician nor one whose temperament is given to political chicanery.   

“Engr. Andrew Yakubu is a well- heeled technocrat who in the last three decades has demonstrated an abiding commitment to evolving the NNPC into an efficient National Oil Company with global aspirations.   We call on well meaning members of the public especially the oil and gas stakeholders to disregard the strange icon as it has nothing to do with what the GMD stands for or represents,’’ the NNPC  said .      

While calling on the public to discountenance the satanic campaign against the GMD, the Corporation informed that facts available indicates that the campaign of calumny is likely to continue in the electronic and print media in the days and months ahead.