Policemen attached to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone II, Onikan have arrested a fake naval personnel, Kingsley Chukwueke, 26, and two others for alleged robbery.
Chukwueke; a motorcyclist, Chidi Ibrahim and a tailor, Alaba Akanni, were paraded yesterday by the zonal spokesperson Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police (SP).
According to the police, Chukwueke and Ibrahim attacked a motorist, Pascal Umeh-Okafor, on Friday night on Ijora Bridge and dispossessed him of his money, phones and car key.
They were sighted by officers in a patrol vehicle on surveillance in the axis, who drove to the scene and arrested them.
Umeh-Okafor, a trader, said the suspects double-crossed him with their motorcycles in traffic.
He said he obeyed them when he saw that Chukwueke was in uniform. He said he sought to know what his offence was.
According to him, they initially accused him of hitting another motorist when there was no car in front of him.
He said they slapped him, alleging that he was “hypnotised because I didn’t know what was happening to me”.
Umeh-Okafor said: “When they double-crossed me, they surrounded me and collected my phones and car key. They rubbed something on me such that I didn’t know what was happening to me.
“Policemen came and asked me what was happening and I told them they were my friends and they have collected my car. But the police were not convinced and they accosted the guy and asked him if he was a personnel. He said yes. They collected my N7,500. There was nowhere to escape the way they blocked me. There was traffic and it was a narrow path. I was the only one in my car.”
Denying the allegation, Chukwueke said he only searched the complainant because he breached their agreement.
He admitted he was not a naval personnel, adding that he bought the material for the uniform at Badagry Market and gave it to Akanni to sew for him.
The suspect said: “I bought the material at Badagry and gave it to a tailor to sew for me last year. I just sewed the uniform. I have been trying to join the military or police since 2006 without success. I love the navy and so, I got their uniform so that if I am taken, I would know I have a uniform already.
“I was not wearing the uniform. It was inside my bag. I didn’t steal from the complainant. I was riding my bike when I saw the complainant arguing with another person. It seems he hit the person’s car and they were arguing. So, I stopped and introduced myself as a naval personnel.
“The complainant begged me to settle his dispute with the other party, that he would pay me N3,000. I settled their differences and he paid the other man N1,030. But when the man left, he refused to give me my own N3,000 and brought out N1,000 that it was all he had.
“I refused and told him that wasn’t our agreement and he said I should search him if I would see any money on him. The mistake I made was that I searched him. It was while I was searching him that police came and got me. I am not a robber and I didn’t steal anything from him.
“I was carrying a bag that had the uniform in it. I am aware it is a crime to have security uniform when I am not a personnel. The person who gave me the crest on my beret is dead. They called him Marcus Mighty. He gave me the crest before I left Lagos and by the time I came back, they said he was dead. I don’t know if he was a real naval personnel but I used to see him in uniform.”
Ibrahim also denied being a robber, insisting that he only stopped when he saw his colleague, Chukwueke with the man.
He said aside being a motorcyclist, he was also an assistant to health officers.
“I am a scout. I have my identity card here. I was wearing the military singlet inside. I bought the singlet and shorts at the market. There was traffic and I took a passenger from Wharf to Ijora. It was on my way back that I saw this bike man (Chukwueke) and the complainant dragging. I didn’t come down from my bike. I even gave them some distance and was watching what was happening.
“I asked them why they were arguing. I saw the bike man doing as though he was searching the complainant. In no time, I saw policemen there. I was still where I stood watching them as they were explaining to the police. It was where I sat on my bike that the driver came and held my bike. I thought he wanted me to be a witness but later the police came and they told me to follow them.
“They told me to follow them to explain what I saw. But the next thing, they handcuffed me and that’s how I am here. I stopped there because I have seen the bike man once in Costain. I knew he was a motorcyclist and I wanted to be sure nothing was wrong. While we were still there, I saw the guy running with a bag towards naval base. Then, I later saw him with two other soldiers. It was one of the soldiers that came and said if I was not his accomplice, why was I wearing soldier clothes? I do not know anything about the matter.”
Akanni, who lives at 103, Mosafejo Street, Iyatoro, admitted sewing the uniforms for Chukwueke and his friend, Williams.
He said they showed him identity cards that they were naval personnel, adding that he charged N500 for each of the uniforms because he was happy he had naval personnel as customers.
The police also arrested a fake policeman, who specialises in escorting vans and trucks.
Alex Agbo, 38, was arrested around Iyana Ipaja, while onboard a van laden with iron rods.
According to Badmos, he claimed to be a spy police, but was caught with police attire.
Badmos said: “The zonal command has been inundated with lots of complaints that security men on illegal duty were disturbing motorists.
“Men of zonal X-Squad were activated to find out what was happening and a fake policeman was arrested. Upon investigation, it was discovered he was not a policeman and he adorned police uniform. He claimed to be a spy, which he is yet to prove. Even as a spy, he was not supposed to be in police uniform.
“The zonal command also caught fake naval officers robbing a man. Police patrol team saw the situation and was able to rescue the victims. The tailor who sewed the clothes was arrested. The AIG, Adamu Ibrahim has directed they should be charged to court at the completion of investigation.”
