Take a fresh look at your lifestyle.

Fake mobile policeman arrested for smuggling, extortion

Joy Anyim 

A fake mobile police sergeant, Monday Job,  arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command, has told journalists that he bought his mobile police uniform from a police friend for N7000.

The 32-year-old Job, paraded by the Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, revealed that his friend, whose identity he gave simply as Suliamon, was transferred from Lagos to the North – East, to fight insurgency. 

It was gathered that Job, an indigene of Akwa Ibom State, was into smuggling,  commercial motorcycle business,  as well as extorting unsuspecting members of the public. 

He, however, met his waterloo on February 10, 2020, while riding on his motorcycle, popularly known as Okada, at Oshodi. He was stopped by enforcement officers, who upon interrogation discovered he was impersonating. 

According to the Commissioner of Police, who paraded the suspect at the police command headquarters in Ikeja, on Wednesday,  “Policemen on enforcement of the ban on motorcycles in restricted areas arrested the suspect at Oshodi riding a motorcycle and fully dressed in police mobile uniform. A close look on his name tag and badge gave room for further probing. 

READ ALSO: http://Senate President solicits WHO’s support on Tuberculosis eradication

“He could not give satisfactory account of himself and the squadron he is attached to. In the cause of investigation, he confessed to be an impersonator. It was revealed that he has been wearing the uniform to commit all kinds of criminal activities, ranging from illegal escort of contraband goods from Cotonuo to Lagos, escorting vehicles from Lagos to other parts of the country, intimidating, harassing and extorting money from other innocent members of the public, claiming to be a mobile policeman.”

Odumosu said investigation is ongoing and the suspect will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded. 

Making confessional statement, Job alleged his friend who sold him the uniform, also sold him a Toyota Camry car he was using for smuggling business. “My friend, Suliamon, who had gone to fight Boko Haram, gave me one of his uniform, for which I paid N7, 000. He also sold his Toyota Camry to me, which I am yet to even pay for.

“I was using the car for smuggling, and was also escorting vehicles to bring in contraband items. Business went bad when the federal government closed the borders. The vehicle I was using for smuggling also developed a fault, ” he said. 

Speaking further, he said: “ After the border closure, I had to look for another means of livelihood, so I went into Okada business. I was also wearing the Police uniform to arrest and defraud Okada riders. I was making at least N30,000 to N35, 000 daily. 

“It was operatives from Lagos State Task Force that arrested me at Oshodi.  They suspected  I was a fake police officer, so they took me to their office, where I was questioned and at the end I just had to tell them the truth. Right now I really regret my action.”   

Comments
Loading...