I’ve Impersonated A Soldier For Eight Years – Suspect

Officials of the Lagos State Task Force on Environment and Special Offences Unit yesterday arrested a suspected fraudster, who claimed he had impersonated Army officer in several police stations, Army barracks and Lagos metropolis.

The suspect, Mr. Gorge Edem, said he had been parading himself as an Army captain for over eight years and collecting money from innocent people who had cases with the police and Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

Edem added that he had deceived many Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in Lagos State on different cases where he had collected millions of naira. He had also impersonated Army officer to secure release of impounded vehicles and motorcycles.

But nemesis caught up with Edem, who claimed to be residing at Flat 11, Block 2, Intelligent Quarters, Nigerian Army Cantonment, Ojo, Lagos, when he stormed the task force headquarters, Alausa for the release of a ‘Boxer’ motorcycle with classis No MD2A18AZ3FMW which was impounded at Oshodi.

The fake Army captain had harassed both police and paramilitary officers demanding to see the chairman of the task force immediately. He was eventually ushered in to see the chairman.

But Edem was discovered to be a fraudster when he couldn’t respond to some of the questions asked by the task force Chairman, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi.

The suspect later confessed that he was just an engineer and not an Army officer. Edem, however, appealed for leniency from members of the public and the police.