A lengthy post circulating on Facebook since 30 June 2020 appears to offer instructions on how people can apply for the “Nigerian army 2020/2021 80 regular intake”.
It includes an official-looking document headed “Nigeria Army Recruitment Form”.
“You can obtain (get) Nigerian Army Recruitment form 2020/2021 and process it when it is out by visiting the recruitment portal,” reads the post, which has been shared more than 500 times.
Is the Nigerian Army recruiting new soldiers on Facebook?
The post is on the Facebook page “Nigerian military”, which is described as a “personal blog” and was only created on 17 February 2020. It has so far garnered about 3,000 likes and mostly posted photos of soldiers in combat and on parade.
The Nigerian Army’s verified Facebook page, “HQ Nigerian Army”, was created on 12 April 2013 and has about 328,000 likes. It is up-to-date with the army’s recent official activities, but has no post about recruitment in 2020.
The “Nigerian military” post claims you “can only join the military in Nigeria through its recruitment process”.
“Interested applicants should apply directly by visiting Nigerian Army Recruitment portal,” it says, and gives a link. But both the Firefox and Chrome web browsers warn that the link is not secure. And the link goes to an empty page headed “Welcome to your website!”
There is no evidence of recruitment on the army’s official website, Twitter timeline and official Facebook page.
Its online application portal shows the last recruitment exercise closed on 28 September 2019. There is no announcement of a “2020/2021 intake”.
On 12 July, a statement by Major Nsima Essien, spokesperson for the army’s recruitment directorate, warned people not to fall for fake recruitment ads circulating online.
The directorate’s attention “has been drawn to the circulation of fake recruitment form for 2020/2021”, she said. “The directorate wishes to inform the public that the recruitment form in circulation is fake, and the web link is not the official website” of the directorate.
Essien told journalists that fraudsters were behind the fake recruitment adverts, adding that the directorate would post calls for applications on the army’s official handles and website when new army enlistment begins. – Allwell Okpi
It includes an official-looking document headed “Nigeria Army Recruitment Form”.
“You can obtain (get) Nigerian Army Recruitment form 2020/2021 and process it when it is out by visiting the recruitment portal,” reads the post, which has been shared more than 500 times.
Is the Nigerian Army recruiting new soldiers on Facebook?
‘Personal blog’
The post is on the Facebook page “Nigerian military”, which is described as a “personal blog” and was only created on 17 February 2020. It has so far garnered about 3,000 likes and mostly posted photos of soldiers in combat and on parade.
The Nigerian Army’s verified Facebook page, “HQ Nigerian Army”, was created on 12 April 2013 and has about 328,000 likes. It is up-to-date with the army’s recent official activities, but has no post about recruitment in 2020.
The “Nigerian military” post claims you “can only join the military in Nigeria through its recruitment process”.
“Interested applicants should apply directly by visiting Nigerian Army Recruitment portal,” it says, and gives a link. But both the Firefox and Chrome web browsers warn that the link is not secure. And the link goes to an empty page headed “Welcome to your website!”
‘We are not recruiting – army’
There is no evidence of recruitment on the army’s official website, Twitter timeline and official Facebook page.
Its online application portal shows the last recruitment exercise closed on 28 September 2019. There is no announcement of a “2020/2021 intake”.
On 12 July, a statement by Major Nsima Essien, spokesperson for the army’s recruitment directorate, warned people not to fall for fake recruitment ads circulating online.
The directorate’s attention “has been drawn to the circulation of fake recruitment form for 2020/2021”, she said. “The directorate wishes to inform the public that the recruitment form in circulation is fake, and the web link is not the official website” of the directorate.
Essien told journalists that fraudsters were behind the fake recruitment adverts, adding that the directorate would post calls for applications on the army’s official handles and website when new army enlistment begins. – Allwell Okpi
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