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Tag: Fake soldier

  • Fake soldier arrested for trying to scam recruits

    Fake soldier arrested for trying to scam recruits

    Troops of 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/Sector 3 Operation WHIRL STROKE (OPWS) Jalingo, Taraba State yesterday arrested a man posing as an army recruitment official in his attempt to scam aspiring military candidates.

    According to a statement by the Brigade Spokesman, Lt. O. Oni, the operation followed a visit by the Commander 6 Brigade, Brig-Gen Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, to the recruitment centre at 114 Battalion Jimilari to assess the ongoing process and ensure its transparency.

    The statement reads: “The impostor was arrested today, 22 June, 2024, as he tried to collect money from hopeful recruits, promising them guaranteed entry into the Nigerian Army. The swift action of the troops thwarted his plans, preventing the candidates from falling victim to fraud.”

    During his visit, Brig-Gen. Uwa addressed the candidates, assuring them of a fair and transparent recruitment process.

    “We are committed to maintaining a level playing field for all candidates. Our recruitment will be based solely on merit, and we will not tolerate any fraudulent activities,” he declared.

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    He emphasised that recruitment is voluntary and free, warning candidates not to give money to anyone promising to help them succeed in the recruitment screening.

    Speaking on the arrest of the impostor, Gen. Uwa commended the vigilance of the troops, emphasising that the integrity of the recruitment process is a top priority for the Army.

    He added that the arrested suspect would be handed over to the relevant authorities for further investigation and prosecution.

    He urged all candidates and the public to report any suspicious activities related to the recruitment exercise to the authorities, as this would help ensure that only the most qualified candidates are inducted into the Nigerian Army.

  • Police arrest fake soldier in Ogun

    The police in Ogun State yesterday arrested a suspected fake soldier identified as Jolly Gilbert, 31.

    He was arrested during a raid of criminals’ hideouts and blackspots at Eyin Ogbe in Ogijo.

    Police spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), said Gilbert was nabbed in military camouflage alongside two others.

    “On interrogation, the suspect claimed to be a solder serving with the 174 Battalion. A signal was sent to the battalion to verify his claim and it was revealed that the suspect is a fake soldier.

    “An Army identity card, suspected to be fake, a jack knife, military hardware and charms were recovered from him. Police Commissioner Bashir Makama has ordered the transfer of the suspect to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for discreet investigation and prosecution,” he said.

  • Fake soldier gets three months’ imprisonment

    A fake soldier, 48-year-old Hamza Ismaila, is to spend the next 90 days in jail, a Minna Magistrates’ Court in Niger State ruled yesterday.

    The convict was found guilty of parading himself as a soldier.

    Tried for wearing Army camouflage, T-shirt and trouser, Ismaila had pleaded guilty and begged for leniency.

    Magistrate Fati Auna, however, gave the convict an option of N50, 000 fine.

    Prosecutor John Steven had told the court that a team of policemen on surveillance duty on Minna-Suleja road arrested the accused on July 14.

    He said during investigation, it was discovered that he was not a soldier.

    Steven said Ismaila impersonated and paraded himself as a soldier to the people of Lambata in Gurara Local Government and its environs.

    The offence violates Section 133 of the Penal Code.

  • Fake soldier jailed three months

    A fake soldier, 48-year-old Hamza Ismaila is to spend the next 90 days in jail, a Minna Magistrates’ Court ruled on Tuesday.

    The convict was found guilty of parading himself as a soldier.

    Tried for wearing Nigerian Army camouflage, T-shirt and trouser, Ismaila had pleaded guilty to the charge and begged for leniency.

    Magistrate Fati Auna, who handed down the judgment, however, gave the convict an option of N50, 000 fine.

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    Earlier, Police Prosecutor John Steven told the court that a team of policemen on surveillance duty on Minna-Suleja Road arrested
    the accused on July 14.

    He said during investigation it was discovered that he was not a member of the Nigerian Army.

    According to him, Ismaila impersonated and parading himself as a soldier to the people of Lambata in Gurara Local Government
    Area and its environs.

    The offence violated Section 133 of the Penal Code.

  • Fake soldier nabbed in Lagos

    A panel beater, Victor Nyaku, was on Thursday arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, for impersonation and assault.

    Nyaku, 47, is also accused of parading himself as an Army officer, wearing Army camouflaged uniform and unlawfully possessing a Nigerian Police identity card.

    Police Prosecutor, Sgt. Godwin Awase, told the court that the accused committed the offences on April 14 at Anifowoshe, Ikeja, Lagos.

    He said that the accused, despite not serving in the military, dressed in army uniform and paraded himself to be an army officer.

    “The accused was driving his Toyota Camry and he blocked a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) ordering the driver to reverse for him to pass.

    “When the driver of the bus could not reverse for him because the bus is long, the accused came down from his car with a Koboko (a long flexible whip made of cow skin or horse tail) and started beating the driver.

    “Unfortunately for him, the Police got to the scene and in the process of settling the dispute, demanded for the accused identity card.

    “The accused, who was in army camouflage presented a police sergeant ID card carrying another person’s name.”

    Awase said that when it was discovered that the accused was fake, he confessed.

    “He said that he saw the camouflage in a bale of clothes he bought from Cotonou and that the ID card was given to him by someone in Ikeja. He was later taken to the station,” the prosecutor said.

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    The offences contravened Sections 171, 380 and 382 of the revised Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that both Sections 380 and 382 stipulate seven years imprisonment each for offenders.

    Nyaku, who resides at Abule-Egba, Lagos, however, pleaded not guilty and was admitted to a bail of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    The Magistrate, Mrs F.F George, ordered that the sureties should be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    The case was adjourned until June 16, for mention.

  • ‘Fake soldier’ charged with motorcycle theft

    ‘Fake soldier’ charged with motorcycle theft

    A man yesterday appeared before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly impersonating a soldier and stealing a Bajaj motorcycle.

    Taofeek Ogunjimi, 38, was charged by the Denton Police Division, Oyingbo, before Chief Magistrate A. O. Salawu on one-count of stealing.

    According to prosecuting Inspector Cousin Adams, Ogunjimi committed the  offence around 5pm last October 10, on Herbert Macaulay Street, Ebute-Meta.

    The defendant, wearing a military baseball cap and covering his nose and mouth with a military camouflage scarf, he said, hailed a commercial motorcycle also known as Okada.

    He boarded the Okada for an agreed fee, but, along the way, he told the Okada rider, Yahaya Musa, that he, Ogunjimi, could ride the motorcycle better, the prosecutor claimed.

    Adams said the defendant ordered Musa to get off the bike so they could exchange places and Musa complied. As he drove, the prosecutor said,  the wind blew the scarf off Ogunjimi’s face and he stopped and asked Musa to get it. Musa got off and ran after the scarf, but Ogunjimi allegedly sped off.

    Sometime last December, Musa sighted the defendant and dragged him to the Police Station.

    Adams valued the motorcycle, a red Bajaj, marked FST 649 Q, at N250, 000.

    According to him the offence contravenes Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    Ogunjimi pleaded not guilty.

    Chief Magistrate Salawu granted him N50,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    The defendant will be in custody until  he meets his bail conditions.

    The case continues on January 27.

  • Task force arrests fake soldier at Lekki

    Task force arrests fake soldier at Lekki

    Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) operatives have arrested a man Mr. Usman Yaya described as a fake soldier, for allegedly obstructing them from performing their duties around Lekki.
    Its chairman, Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Superintendent of Police (SP), said the suspect was arrested on Monday evening during the demolition of shanties used by miscreants and hoodlums around White Sand School, Lekki.
    Egbeyemi said Yaya assaulted a para-military officer attached to the agency.
    The suspect, he said, wore an army cap on mufti and impersonated a Staff Sergeant.
    Investigations, he said, revealed that the suspect had been terrorising people around the area.
    The suspect has been charged to court.
    According to Egbeyemi, Yaya, 27, from Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State confessed that he stole the army cap from his brother in Abuja. The suspect, he added, claimed to have been extorting money from people since he came to Lagos in February.

  • NSCDC arrests fake soldier in Borno

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Borno Command, said on Thursday it has arrested a man, Ahmed Alibe, 21, posing as a soldier and molesting members of the public.

    The Corps Commandant, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said Alibe was arrested on Wednesday at the Nasara Computer Centre in the state capital.

    Abdullahi said the suspect, who was in military uniform, was seen harassing and intimidating candidates preparing for the forthcoming Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) organised Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    “We were told that a soldier in uniform was molesting and beating young boys and girls who were registering for the JAMB,” Abdullahi said.

    “We noticed that his action was questionable so we sent our men to go and monitor him. On arrival they discovered he was not a soldier but just wearing the uniform to molest innocent people.

    “When we interrogated him here at the command, he said the uniform belonged to his brother’s friend.

    “We are waiting to see his brother’s friend; if not we will assume that he killed an army officer and took his uniform.

    “The culprit could have perpetrated any crime and many might think he was an army officer. This is a crime on its own and he must be punished.

    “He will be handed over to the military for proper interrogation and prosecution.”

    NAN

  • Fake soldier arrested for‘ stealing’ motorcycles

    Fake soldier arrested for‘ stealing’ motorcycles

    The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has arrested a man who posed as a soldier to steal motorcycles.

    Benjamin Okon, was arrested on Sunday around 5 a.m. following a tip-off.

     “The suspect was fond of intimidating members of the public under the pretence that he is a military personnel. His hostile attitude made people not to associate with him. However, when we suspected his moves, we summoned courage to report to the police”, a source said.

    The suspect, in his statement at the Police Command, Ikeja, said he had an accomplice who received the stolen items from him.

    He said he operated in neighbouring states.

    “I am an expert at snatching motorcycles from unsuspecting members of the public. I have stolen countless motorcycles, which my accomplice helped me to sell. I do travel far and wide across the country to perpetrate this crime.

    “I robbed and sold looted items to him, and he subsequently sold them to some other persons. Once I bring the bikes to him, he will pay me off and I will move on to steal another one.”

    Police spokesperson Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent (SP), said the suspect would be charged to court after investigation.

    She said efforts were on to apprehend the receiver and others.

  • Fake soldier arrested in Bauchi

    THE Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, yesterday fixed January 19, 2017 to hear an appeal filed by embattled Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Rickey Tarfa, challenging a Lagos High Court’s refusal to quash the bribery charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    EFCC arraigned Tarfa before Justice A. A. Akintoye on March 10, on the allegation, among others, that he offered N5.3million gratification to Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, to compromise the judge.

    It claimed that Tarfa transferred the money in several tranches to Justice Nganjiwa between June 27, 2012 and December 23, 2014.

     

    But Tarfa, through his defence team comprising about 34 SANs, challenged the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the case.

    In her ruling, Justice Akintoye dismissed the application and held that the court had jurisdiction to hear the matter.

    Dissatisfied, Tarfa filed a Notice of Appeal and urged the appellate court to and set aside the judgment of the lower court.

    At the appellate court yesterday,  appellant’s lawyer,  Biodun Owonikoko (SAN), informed the court that record of appeal had been compiled and transmitted, adding that the appeal was ripe for hearing.

    EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo said the commission had filed its briefs and was ready to argue the appeal.

    Consequently, the presiding Justice, Justice Mohammed Lawal Garuba, fixed January 19 for the hearing of the appeal.