Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, has raised an alarm over the use of his name by scammers to fleece unsuspecting members of the public. He spoke when News Express contacted him minutes ago for his reaction to a job offer being made to selected journalists by a person purporting to be Dr. Abati.

“It is 419. Anybody that falls for them is an idiot,” Abati, who is Special Adviser on Media & Publicity to President Goodluck Jonathan, said. “I don’t do contract, I don’t run an employ racket. I don’t know them and I don’t know who they work for. They do not act on my behalf,” he added.

Abati lamented that his name has suddenly become a favourite among scammers, known locally in Nigeria as 419ners. “Last year, one of them was jailed here in Abuja for using my name to do 419,” he said. “I can assure you that they’ll soon come up with something else.”

News Express contacted Abati following a “RED ALERT” issued by Ikem Okuhu, a senior journalist in Lagos, who wrote:

“Are you a journalist? Are you columnist in any of the national dailies? Pls read......

“A scammer, posing as Dr Reuben Abati is on the prowl. How does he operate?

“This chap has Dr Abati's voice and would call you up with an offer to employ you in the president’s media team. He takes his time and unlike other cheap scammers, according to a friend who nearly fell victim, he actually calls and spends time on the phone.

“So this guy would say he is enlarging his team, especially with regard to Agenda 2015 and all the fight between GEJ and OBJ.

“He would give you an email to send your CV and then even try and interview you on the phone just to establish you are urgently needed.

“Then he will fix an appointment for you to come to Aso Rock and be introduced to the rest of the team.

“Then as if as an afterthought, he would ask that while coming to the Villa for the meeting, you would need a pass which he would claim he would send to you. Then he would tell you of the SSS people at the gate that would need at least six bottles of a certain expensive wine with total cost at about N450,000 to facilitate easy access to the Villa.

“Here you would be advised to pay the cash equivalent into a certain bank account.

“Those of you that want to write yourself into the good books of certain people, beware!!!”

•Photo: Dr. Abati.