Task force arrests suspected fake army officer

The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) has apprehended a suspected fake Army Captain at Alausa, Ikeja.

The suspect, Mr. Gorge Edem, who claimed to be residing at Flat 11, Block 2, Intelligence Quarters, Nigerian Army Cantonment, Ojo Lagos was paraded yesterday by the Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, Saheed Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Superintendent of Police at Ikeja.

Edem, who claimed to be an Army Captain attached to the Military Cantonment, Ojo, came for the release of a motorcycle that was impounded at Oshodi yesterday by operatives of both Police and paramilitary elements attached to the Agency.

The suspected fake Army Captain had harassed both Police and paramilitary agents at the task force office.Egbeyemi, an intelligent and pragmatic Police Officer, after listening to the suspect’s claim, questioned him further on his personality as an Army Captain. It was later proven that he was an engineer and not an Army officer.

Edem, who did not have an insight into the stiff policy of the agency as regards impounded motorcycles, came for the release of a ‘Boxer’ motorcycle with chassis No MD2A18AZ3FMWStatehX that was impounded, having contravened the Lagos State Road Traffic Laws of 2012 at Oshodi, Lagos.

He carried a fake Dependant Identity Card with Nigerian Army Cantonment, Ojo, Lagos When questioned on why he impersonated the Nigerian Army, the suspect said he had been parading himself as an Army Captain for over eight years because of poverty and has been collecting money from innocent people who had cases with Nigeria Police and Nigerian Customs. He had also deceived many Divisional Police officers in Lagos State on different cases where he collected millions of naira.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni who had been briefed about the matter, had directed that Edem be charged to court.
The suspect, however, appealed for leniency from members of the public and the Nigeria Police Force.

“The Lagos State Task Force, hereby, enjoined members of the public to be wary of fake security personnel, who are operating illegally by perpetuating evil and duping innocent citizens of their hard earned resources.

“Meanwhile, the Agency in the last one week impounded 114 motorcycles, which contravened the Lagos State Traffic Laws of 2012.
Also, 71 miscreants were screened out from 269 arrested miscreants while 198 were were charged to courts for various environmental offences,” the agency’s spokesman, Adebayo Taofik, said.