The MTN Foundation, the Corporate Social Investment Implementing Vehicle of Nigeria’s leading telecommunications company,  MTN,  has alerted members of the public on a ploy by certain individuals to dupe disabled people under the guise of its purely humanitarian project, MTNF Disability Support Project.

According to a statement, the Executive Corporate Services, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Wale Goodluck noted with dismay the attempt by certain individuals to rob disabled persons under the pretence of MTN Foundation.

He said “it has come to our notice that certain individuals are attempting to dupe prospective beneficiaries of the second phase  of the MTN Foundation Disability Support  Project.  These individuals are sending out text messages requesting prospective beneficiaries  to pay one thousand naira (N1000) to obtain a form in order for them to be eligible to obtain mobility aids and other appliances donated by the MTN Foundation.

He continued “this is an unfortunate attempt by fraudulent individuals to cash in on this purely humanitarian initiative because the MTN Foundation does not request prospective beneficiaries to purchase any forms under the disability project or any other project being implemented by the Foundation.

Goodluck who maintained that the Foundation had not authorised anyone to collect money or recharge cards to facilitate participation of individuals in the on-going disability support project also warned the participant and members of the public to ignore such alerts irrespective of its attractiveness.

Goodluck also revealed that the second phase of the project currently being implemented by the Foundation was targeted at people living with disabilities in Rivers, Abia, Edo, Bauchi, Enugu, Kano, Borno, Katsina, Kwara and Ondo States.

He explained that the first phases of the project winessed the distribution of thousand of wheel chairs, tricycles, Braille machines, Braille wristwatches, hearing aids and other appliances to people living with disability in Anambra, Oyo, Delta, Lagos, Ebonyi, Taraba, Benue, Kebbi, Zamfara and Adamawa States.

Gladys Nwogu, a participant in the project and victim of the fraud who spoke with The Tide lauded the MTN Foundation for its quick intervention on the oddity.

She said “I had even paid one thousand naira to the account they sent me before one of my friends who is also a participant in the disability project alerted me. I am happy that the Foundation got the news quickly and alerted us in time otherwise I’m sure we would have lost more than that”.