The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Fake soldier

  • Lagos taskforce arrests fake Army lieutenant

    Lagos taskforce arrests fake Army lieutenant

    The Lagos State Task Force has arrested a fake military man, Mr. Oluwayelu Adewole Rahmon claiming to be a 2nd Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army.

    According to the Public Relations Officer of the taskforce, Adebayo Taofiq, sequel to the arrest, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni directed  Task Force Chairman SP. Olayinka Egbeyemi to immediately charge the fake soldier to court for impersonation.

    “Owoseni said the Lagos State Police Command and other security operatives across the State would continue to arrest miscreants and criminals at their different hide-outs until they have a change of mind of becoming good citizens.

    Adebayo said the suspect Mr. Oluwayelu Adeboye  (27 years) of No. 4 Union Street, Dopemu, Agege claimed to be 2nd Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army in order to secure the release of an impounded commercial vehicle by the operatives of the Lagos State Task Force.

    “The suspect who according to investigations was rusticated from the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro (2014) for same offence of impersonation claimed that he had at many instances deceived different security formations across the country.

    “Further investigation equally revealed that the suspect was an habitual impersonator who had once also impersonated the son of a General in the Nigerian Army during an interview where he wanted to secure admission into Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

    “He disclosed that he has variously at different times and places  impersonated  as both officer of Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Police in order to secure the release of anyone arrested at different Police stations across Lagos”, the PRO said.

    Adewole, Adebayo said, equally impersonates through telephone conversations for release of impounded vehicles from different law enforcers and that if he had succeeded he would have charged the  owner of the impounded vehicle for a fee of  N15,000 or more.

    “The suspect narrated that he was on his way to Ogba in Ikeja to collect his original Year 2010 West African Examination School Certificate results with examination No 20108040DC when he saw operatives of the Agency impounding someone’s vehicle for traffic obstructions and that he felt it was another good business for him as usual, that was why he quickly intervened.

    He claimed he is among those shortlisted for the new recruitment into the Nigerian Police Force.

    The impounded commercial vehicle belong to one Mr Muritala Feyisola Ayowunmi, an Officer of the Nigerian  Navy of Military Clearing Office, Wharf at Apapa who lives at BT 88, Flat 10A, Gowon Estate, Egbeda, Lagos.

    “The suspect confirmed further that he followed the owner of the impounded commercial vehicle to Lagos State Task Force Headquarters  at Ikeja where he was interrogated by the Chairman SP Olayinka Egbeyemi and later got arrested with his fake documents”.

    The PRO said the suspect said it was the devil work, “he however pleaded promising to repent and be a good citizen if the government could have mercy and release him.

    “The owner of the impounded commercial vehicle Ayowunmi denied knowing the suspect, claiming that he just came to him and introduced himself as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigerian Army and ‘I gave him a full compliments as a Senior Officer only to later find out after interrogation at Lagos Task Force Headquarters that he was an impersonator,”  Adebayo said.

  • I’ve raked in N137,000 selling army uniform, says fake soldier in the net

    A 26-year- old fake soldier, Sulaimon Tajudeen, has been arrested by the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Peace Corps (NPC).

    The fake soldier who claimed to be a serving officer at the Ibadan Ojoo Barrack of the Nigeria Army was arrested in Osogbo on Thursday.

    The Provost of the paramilitary body, Patroit Oluwaseyi Akintayo, who carried out the arrest told journalists that the arrest was made following a tip off on how the suspect had been duping and extorting people on the claim that he was an officer of the Nigerian Army.

    A Peace Corps’ operative had disguised and approached the suspect with interest to obtain a form for Nigerian Army recruitment.

    The operative later observed that the suspect could not even understand any military language during their conversation.

    It was also learnt that the suspect could not produce his identity card when the operative requested for it.

    The suspect, who was traced to his residence at Oke-Baale area, Osogbo, confessed to the crime, saying that he had been in the business for a while by posing as a soldier and selling Nigerian Army and Nigeria Customs forms to unsuspecting members of public.

    “It is true, I have been posing as a fake soldier and duping people to find a means of livelihood. I have sold Army forms running to over N137,000 from unsuspecting people.

    “I also use the same act to extort people, especially the Okada rider”, he confessed.

    Some of those who have fallen victim of the fake soldier were Azeez Oladapo who have parted with N27,500; Tajudeen Sodiq, N13,500; Bamidele Abass N36,000; Idowu Adebayo N15,000 and Blessing N4,000.

    The suspect has since been handed over to the Nigeria Army Barracks in Ede, Osun State for further interrogation.

  • Fake soldier arrested in Akure

    Fake soldier arrested in Akure

    Soldiers of 32 Artillery Brigade serving in 19 Battalion, Okitipupa, have arrested a fake soldier, Dokio Olotu, at Agadagba  in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

    Olotu (51) was allegedly terrorising residents of Agadagba. He “extorted” money from motorists and pedestrians.

    Soldiers, who were on  normal routine patrol for Internal Security Operation of Fast Strike Squad, got a tip-off.

    The soldiers on arrival at the scene discovered that Olotu was a fake soldier.

    He was arrested and later handed over to the police.

  • Abia: Police recovers more vehicles stolen by fake soldier

    Abia: Police recovers more vehicles stolen by fake soldier

    The Abia state Commissioner of Police (CP), Joshak Habila said that his command has recovered two more vehicles which were stolen by a fake army officer, Ahanna Chinagorom Ogwezi from car shops, who wears army uniform to dupe people.

    Speaking in Umuahia while parading some armed robbery suspects, Habila said that his command has been doing a follow up on the case of the fake army officer, who was paraded by him in January this year.

    Habila said that his men have recovered a black Toyota Avalon (Sport) 2004 model, which was stolen from a custom officer in Onitsha, Anambra state in December last year and sold to one Japhet at Owerri.

    The Abia CP said that the suspect had sold the car to Japhet at the cost of eight hundred and fifty thousand naira (N850, 000), adding that the fake soldiers used fake custom documents to sell the car.

    He said that the police have also recovered a Lincoln MKX SUV black colour belonging to Bright Oranta, which was stolen at Asaba, Delta state and sold to Pastor Olatunde in Calabar, Cross River state at the cost of N4.3 million, adding that the car was stolen from Ikechukwu who is car dealer.

    Habila said that a Toyota Highlander SUV which was stolen in Enugu in 2013 from the owner, Tony Mba and sold to one Kingsley in Warri Delta state, stressing that Kingsley later sold the car to one Pastor Yomi in Port Harcourt at the cost of N2.8 million, “From whose possession the vehicle was recovered”.

    It could be recalled that the fake soldier who specializes in stealing of exotic cars from car shops while wearing military uniform is currently facing charges at the court.

    While parading the armed robbery suspects, Habila said that a sister security agency in the state transferred to the command three suspected armed robbers, Chimnonso Ikpegbu aka Ojingwa, Emeka Acha aka Osuofia and Chijioke Kingsley Ifeanyi.

    The CP said that three were arrested on the allegation of being car snatching syndicate, “The suspects are ex-convicts have been involved in series of car snatching incidents on gun point and Ikpegbu and Acha have confessed to the crimes”.

    Habila said that during interrogation that Ikpegbu led the team to Ndoro in Ikwuano local government area of the state, “Where a locally made pistol was recovered in a kiosk, while efforts are being made to recover the stolen vehicles”.

  • Fake soldier re-arrested in Ondo

    Fake soldier re-arrested in Ondo

    A FAKE soldier, Miss Angela Omieh, who was arrested on April 17, this year  by men of the 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure, was re-arrested yesterday at Igbara-Oke military check-point in Ifedore Local Government Area, Ondo State.

    After her latest arrest in the same army uniform, she gave her name as Miss Jamila Suleiman of Mile 3, Dioba, Port Harcourt, River State, contrary to her former name.

    The State Police Commissioner, Isaac Eke, who paraded the suspect after briefing reporters in his office, said the fake soldier was earlier in the year arrested by military men and handed over to the police.

    He said she was then charged to court but was granted bail.

    He added that the suspect was re-arrested again at Igbara-Oke military check-point while impersonating herself as a soldier.

    The suspect said she committed the offence in order to survive after the death of her father.

    She confessed that she bought the uniform from a shop in Delta State and pleaded for leniency, promising not to involve in such act again.

    Eke also spoke on a case of attempted murder involving one Busayo Ayowele. The Police Commissioner said during investigation, the suspect confessed to have “soaked his man friend, one Anthony Idowu, with petrol and set him ablaze which resulted in the victim’s death.”

    The police chief added that 23 armed robbery suspects were arrested over one kidnapping case and two child stealing reports.

    He said the command had recorded a lot of success in the second quarter of the year.

    Eke stressed that 10 arms were recovered while 36 suspects were charged to court for criminal offences.

  • Fake soldier bags seven-year jail

    ne of the alleged fake soldiers paraded by the police on Tuesday, Israel Amuzu (24), has been jailed seven years for impersonation.

    He was sentenced to jail with hard labour on a three-count charge after he pleaded guilty on all the charges.

    The other defendants, Joseph Jidai, John Henry Musa, Azubuike Peter, Obi Chinyere Stephen, Paul Ohalate, Sulaiman Raheem, Hammed Gbadamosi and Oguntamu Abiola, were remanded with option of bail in the sum of N500,000 and two sureties in like sum each.

    The prosecutor, Inspector O. Festus, told the court: “On April 17, May 15 and May 17, 2014, between 1200hrs and 1800hrs, at FESTAC and Abule Oshun areas of Lagos State in the Lagos Magisterial District, the defendants were found unlawfully wearing army uniform and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 79 (a) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State Nigeria 2011.

    “On the same date, time and place, at the aforementioned magisterial district, they did impersonate the Nigerian Army before the general public and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 378 (I) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011.

    “On the same date, time and place, at the afore-mentioned magisterial district as a civilian, the suspects did impersonate members of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Nigerian Police and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 77 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.” The other defendants pleaded not guilty.

    The Chief Magistrate of Apapa Court 1, P.A Ojo adjourned the matter till June 25.