CBN issues red alert over fake tweet on N50bn COVID-19 fund

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has described as fraudulent the operation of a phoney Twitter handle, @YusufPhilipYila, purported to belong to its Director of Development Finance, Philip Yila Yusuf.

The apex bank’s Director of Corporate Communications, Isaac Okoroafor, made the revelation in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, noting that messages related to the CBN’s N50 billion Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) were posted on the Twitter handle with the intention of luring unsuspecting loan seekers and small-scale business owners to enter into correspondence with the fraudsters.

Okoroafor, therefore, warned members of the public to avoid having any dealing with the said Twitter handle while stating that the real Mr Philip Yila Yusuf does not currently own a Twitter handle.

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Although the CBN, through the NIRSAL Microfinance Bank (NMFB), has indeed disbursed loans to successful beneficiaries under its COVID-19 Targeted Credit Facility, none of the bank’s officials engages in direct interactions with prospective or successful applicants.

“We, therefore, find it embarrassing that Mr Yusuf has continued to be inundated with personal calls relating to messages from the impostor handle.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our Director, Mr Yusuf, does not currently own a twitter handle,” Mr Okorafor said.

He urged prospective applicants to approach NIRSAL Microfinance Bank or any CBN branch nearest to them or tweet @cenbank or @NirsalMFB for clarification on the guidelines for accessing the TCF or any of the CBN-related loans.

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