A rowdy Lagos courtroom fell silent as 59-year-old Rakiyat Musa walked into the Igbosere magistrate’s court. She stood accused of impersonating a Nigerian customs officer and defrauding multiple victims of over ₦34 million.
The charges—conspiracy, false pretence, stealing, and impersonation—were read aloud. But behind the legal jargon lay the heartbreak of small business owners and cooperative societies who believed they were buying discounted foodstuffs to support their families and communities.
Instead, they were deceived and financially exploited, exposing the devastating toll of impersonation scams on everyday Nigerians.
But beneath the solemn courtroom drama, a quiet revolution is unfolding across Nigeria. From grassroots cooperatives to federal agencies and fintech innovators, a growing coalition is working to shut down impersonation scams before they start.
Fighting through awareness
To reverse the surge of impersonation fraud, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Nigerian Customs Service have ramped up education efforts. These include monthly publications of verified custom agents, radio programmes and social-media campaigns that help tthe public identify legitimate officers and secure transactions.
By arming Nigerians—especially small businesses and cooperatives—with easy access to this information, these agencies are cultivating a culture of vigilance. More business owners now pause, verify and double-check for authenticity before parting with their hard-earned money.
Fintech tools as the new gatekeepers
Technology is playing a vital role in this shift. Fintech solutions such as VerifyMe and IdentityPass are empowering cooperatives and traders to verify key identity details—such as National Identification Numbers (NIN), Tax Identification Numbers (TIN), and BVNs.
For cooperatives dealing in bulk commodities like rice and oil, these platforms act as digital firewalls, ensuring that the people they do business with are who they say they are. In a market once clouded by risks, these solutions are restoring trust.
Community education
At the grassroots level, organisations like the Consumer Awareness and Financial Enlightenment Initiative (CAFEi) are leading the charge in financial literacy.
Through regular workshops and trainings, they equip cooperatives and market associations with the knowledge to spot red flags in business transactions. Participants are taught to challenge urgency tactics, verify identities and document transactions
For cooperatives like Power House Cooperative, which reportedly lost over N13 million to Musa’s phoney scheme, this kind of training can be transformative. With better awareness and practical tools, they can approach future dealings with trust and caution.
A new culture of informed resilience
The trial of Musa underscores how fraudsters exploit the ambition and trust of citizens eager to build better lives. But it also signals a turning point: one where Nigerians are meeting scams with informed resistance.
As more cooperatives, small businesses, and individuals embrace financial education, digital ID verifications and public-awareness campaigns, the narrative is shifting from victimhood to resilience.
Across towns and villages, Nigerians are building invisible walls of defence around their livelihoods, leaving impersonation scams with fewer doors open to them.
A Lagos courtroom witnessed the arraignment of Rakiyat Musa, accused of impersonating a customs officer and defrauding victims of over ₦34 million. This case highlights the severe impact of impersonation scams on Nigerian citizens, particularly small business owners and cooperative societies. In response, efforts to combat such frauds are intensifying across Nigeria, with agencies like the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Nigerian Customs Service enhancing public education through verified agent publications, radio programs, and social media campaigns to ensure transaction security.
Technology plays a crucial role, as fintech tools like VerifyMe and IdentityPass enable the verification of essential identity credentials, thereby protecting cooperatives against scams. Grassroots organizations, such as the Consumer Awareness and Financial Enlightenment Initiative (CAFEi), provide financial literacy workshops, equipping cooperatives with skills to identify and prevent fraudulent schemes.
This growing awareness and use of digital tools represent a cultural shift toward informed resilience against scams, as Nigerians increasingly adopt preventative measures to safeguard their economic interests. The ongoing trial of Musa marks a change in the narrative, showcasing a move from victimhood to a proactive defense, reducing opportunities for fraudsters to exploit trust in business transactions.
