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Man allegedly impersonates police officer for free ride

By Odita Sunday
23 May 2016   |   1:38 am
Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 33-year-old man for allegedly impersonating police officers in the state.

Fake-policeman

Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 33-year-old man for allegedly impersonating police officers in the state.

The suspect, Nathaniel Benjamin, who was fully kitted with an Anti-Robbery Squad T-shirt, a camouflage face cap, a black bag, a black trouser with black boots to match, was arrested at Alakija, Ojo area of Lagos by a team of policemen on patrol following a tip-off from members of the public.

Following his arrest, the suspect, who claimed to be from Kogi State, but works as a private driver in Lagos, was transferred to the police headquarters at Ikeja for further investigation.

It was learnt that the suspect confessed to being a fake policeman parading himself in the state to escape paying transport fares to commercial bus conductors. The suspect further confessed that he loved police work, but all his efforts to become a policeman met brick walls.

“I am a private driver at the FESTAC Town area of Lagos. I get N30,000 as monthly salary but this is not enough to cater for my needs. I decided to dress as a police officer so that when I board a commercial vehicle, the driver would not collect fare from me. I decided to impersonate policemen because my salary is meager and all efforts to earn more or get a well-paid job have been futile. I was desperate to save a few amount from free transportation, which was why I decided to impersonate policemen,” he said.

Explaining where he got the police uniform, the suspect noted that he got them from his late brother, who was a policeman. “I was not using the police uniform to defraud anybody. I did not also use it to escort heavy-duty vehicles. I was only using it to get free transportation.

I got the uniform after my elder brother who was a policeman died in a road crash. My brother had not spent one year in the force when he died last year. After his burial, I decided to use his uniform. I have been wearing it to get free ride for three months. I love police work. I have been applying to the Police Force for recruitment for a long time but was not selected. I have also applied for the recent recruitment, hoping to get lucky this time.”

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