The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has warned Nigerians against fraudulent electronic messages falsely claiming that recipients have violated traffic rules or committed related offences.

The messages may be designed to create fear or urgency and trick recipients into clicking malicious links, following harmful instructions or disclosing personal information, according to the data protection agency.

The deceptive messages were previously associated largely with phishing emails but are now being distributed through various electronic communication channels, NDPC said, urging Nigerians not to act on messages that cannot be independently verified.

“Do not allow fear, urgency or the appearance of official authority to pressure you into clicking a link or disclosing your personal information,” the NDPC warned.

It advised recipients of suspicious messages to check the sender’s address, domain name and embedded links before taking any action.

Where there is uncertainty about the authenticity of a message, the Commission recommended contacting the organisation or authority named in the communication through a known and trusted telephone number, website or email address.

The NDPC cautioned against using contact details provided in suspicious messages, saying this could expose recipients to further fraud or attempts to steal personal data.

It also urged Nigerians to report suspicious messages or attempts to impersonate legitimate organisations to both the NDPC and the organisation being impersonated.

The data protection regulator also advised Nigerians to strengthen the security of their online accounts by using strong, unique passwords and avoiding the reuse of passwords across multiple services.

It recommended changing passwords promptly where there is a suspicion that an account or password has been compromised.

The Commission further encouraged users to activate multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever available, describing the additional verification step as an extra layer of protection beyond passwords.

The NDPC said the warning reflects the growing use of electronic communication by malicious actors seeking to obtain personal information by impersonating trusted institutions.

It urged Nigerians to follow a simple approach when confronted with suspicious messages: “STOP. VERIFY. PROTECT. REPORT.”

The Commission stressed that where a message cannot be independently verified, recipients should not click its links, follow its instructions or disclose personal information.

It added that protecting personal data is a shared responsibility, requiring individuals to exercise caution while organisations and public authorities take steps to prevent the misuse of their identities.

A sociocultural group in Remoland, the Pan Remo Movement (PRM), has warned political leaders and aspirants from the zone against any attempt to derail the zoning arrangement ahead of the 2027 governorship election, saying such a move could undermine the goodwill and trust built between the various zones of Ogun State.

The group, which spoke against the backdrop of the ongoing debate over the aspiration of a governorship hopeful from Remo, said the people of the zone should be mindful of the support they received from other parts of the state when Governor Dapo Abiodun contested and won the governorship in 2019 and 2023.

In a release signed by its President, Otunba ‘Poju Akintayo-Ayodele and General Secretary, Oloye Tunde Adekoya, PRM argued that Remo had occupied the governorship for 16 of the 28 years since the return to democratic rule in 1999, having produced former Governor Gbenga Daniel and the incumbent, Prince Dapo Abiodun.

The group said the time had therefore come for the zone to reciprocate the support it had enjoyed by allowing power to shift to another part of the state, particularly Ogun West, in the interest of equity and fairness.

“We are not ingrates. Remo has had its fair share of the governorship. Governor Gbenga Daniel and Governor Dapo Abiodun have both represented our zone and the state.

“We must therefore appreciate the support extended to us by other zones and be willing to support the legitimate aspiration of other parts of the state to also produce the governor.

“Yewa deserves a sense of belonging. It is only fair that power should move to another zone,” the group said.

It cautioned politicians and stakeholders in Remo against putting personal ambition above the broader interests of the zone and the state, warning that any deliberate attempt to upset the existing understanding on power rotation could have far-reaching consequences.

The group also appealed to the people of Remo not to support what it described as a selfish political agenda capable of eroding the confidence other zones have in the zone.

According to it, political arrangements are sustained by trust, reciprocity and mutual respect, stressing that the support Remo receives today could be affected if the zone is perceived as unwilling to reciprocate such gestures.

“Those who deliberately work against this understanding may be sowing seeds of conflict and destruction for generations yet unborn. We must think beyond one election, one candidate or one political ambition.

“The question should be what is fair and equitable for Ogun State and how we preserve the trust among the different zones,” it added.

The group, which also announced plans to host the 2026 edition of its annual Pan Remo Forum soon, said this year’s edition will focus on the need to preserve the goodwill and peaceful coexistence among the various zones of Ogun State before, during and after the forthcoming general elections.

PRM maintained that the political leadership of Ogun should continue to promote an arrangement that gives every zone a sense of inclusion and belonging.

It therefore urged Remo political leaders, traditional institutions, community leaders and other stakeholders to consider the long-term political stability of the state and resist actions that could create unnecessary division among its various zones.

The group further appealed to all stakeholders to respect the principle of equity and allow Ogun West, which it said had yet to produce a governor since the creation of the state, an opportunity to occupy the governorship.

It stressed that the issue should not be reduced to the ambition of any individual, but viewed from the broader perspective of fairness, political accommodation and the need to preserve harmonious relationships among Ogun’s major political blocs.