Lagos State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences has arrested a man, Mr Oluwayelu Adewole, who allegedly posed as second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army.
A statement by its Public Relations Officer Taofiq Adebayo, said Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni has directed the task force chairman, Olayinka Egbeyemi a superintendent of police, to charge the suspect to court for alleged impersonation. Adebayo said Adewole, 27, of 4, Union Street in Dopemu, Agege claimed to an army officer in order to secure the release of a commercial vehicle arrested by the task force.
He said: “The suspect who according to investigations was rusticated from the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro in 2014 for the 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 has variously at different times and places impersonated as an officer of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Police in order to secure the release of anyone arrested at different police stations across Lagos.”
Adebayo added: “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.
The suspect, he said, claimed he (Ademole) is among those shortlisted for the recruitment into the Police.
The impounded commercial vehicle belongs to 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 the task force Headquarters at Ikeja where he was interrogated by Egbeyemi and later got arrested with his fake documents”.
“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 full compliments as a Senior Officer only to later find out after interrogation that he was an impersonator,” Adebayo said.