Dismissed policeman gets 3 years for impersonation

An Ojo Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Wednesday sentenced a 36-year-old dismissed police officer, Okpambe Anthony, to three years imprisonment for parading himself as a serving policeman.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Paul Adedamola, in his ruling, did not give the convict an option of fine.

“The sentence which has no option of fine should serve as a deterrent to others.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Anthony had pleaded guilty to the charge of impersonation.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Uche Simon, told the court that the accused had on March 19 at 2.00 p.m. at Iyana Oba in Ojo area of Lagos committed the offence.

He said Anthony, who was dismissed from service in 2015, was arrested in a police uniform.

“The accused unlawfully parade himself as a police officer by wearing a full police Sergeant uniform.

“The photographs of the accused in a police uniform was tendered as exhibit in court among other evidences, ” he said.

The offence, he noted, contravened the provisions of Sections 79 (1a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.