The Federal Government has cautioned Nigerians against falling victim to a fraudulent online job scheme falsely offering employment in Nigeria’s diplomatic missions abroad.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs discredited the circulating scam, clarifying that it does **not** directly recruit Foreign Service officers. According to ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa, all official recruitment is handled exclusively by the Federal Civil Service Commission.
“The Ministry does not recruit officers directly,” Ebienfa stated. “Recruitment into the Foreign Service is solely carried out by the Federal Civil Service Commission.”
The warning comes amid a wave of fake advertisements and forged employment letters circulating online. Ebienfa revealed that scammers have even impersonated him in emails to deceive victims.
“They’re sending emails using my name as the signatory,” he said. “This isn’t just misinformation—it’s a scheme meant to defraud Nigerians and tarnish the image of the Ministry.”
One of the fake job offers informed recipients that they had been selected for a diplomatic role at the Nigerian Embassy in Juba, South Sudan, and were instructed to pay N165,800 for a diplomatic passport.
“This is completely false,” Ebienfa said, reaffirming that diplomatic jobs follow a formal process, including selection by the Civil Service Commission, training at the Foreign Service Academy, and official deployment. Additionally, he emphasized that diplomatic and official passports are issued free of charge.
“No Nigerian should pay for a diplomatic passport or trust any job offer claiming to come directly from the Ministry,” he warned.
The Ministry urged the public to ignore such messages and report suspicious activity to relevant authorities.
