Two suspects are currently being investigated by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce) for alleged impersonation has revealed that they indulged in the act to avoid being accosted by genuine security officers on monitoring patrol.
The two suspects identified as Monday Job and Rasak Oloyede were arrested at different locations. While Monday Job impersonated a Police Officer using his commercial motorcycle to scout for passengers on restricted routes, the other suspect Rasak Oloyede presented himself as an Army Officer using his commercial bus for fraudulent acts along Lagos-Abeokuta expressway
Suspects account
According to one of the suspects, Monday Job who hails from Akwa-Ibom State, “I bought the uniform from a policeman who was deployed from Lagos to the northern part of the country for N7000. Since I bough it, I have been using the uniform to carry out an illegal arrest and extorts money from both motorists and motorcyclists plying restricted routes along Lagos-Abeokuta expressway.”
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“I was hawking before I joined Okada business over a year ago and I have been wearing this Police uniform to arrest and defraud Okada riders and making at least N30.000 to N35.000 daily”, he added.
Meanwhile the second suspect (Rasak Oloyede), who impersonated a Sergeant in the Nigerian Army, said he has been using the uniform he got from a dismissed Army officer to escape check points on roads by Traffic Officers.
“I also use the uniform to extort money from motorists and making a daily average collection of N25,000 to N40,000 whenever my Volkswagen commercial bus, with the registration number BDG149 XK, had mechanical faults.”
Speaking on the incident, the task force Chairman, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi disclosed that our intelligent reports revealed that some dubious-minded motorcyclists are now using fake Nigerian Army/Police uniform to scout for passengers on restricted routes as well as indulging in various forms of fraudulent acts across the State”.
He reiterated the directive of the state government which stipulates that all security personnel on an official assignment with motorcycles must be fully kitted in uniform with their identity card conspicuously displayed.
The Chairman also reiterated that motorcycle operators must desist from plying all 475 restricted routes, adding that they must also wear their crash helmets and must possess riders permit for proper identification of the park they belong while plying other routes.
While urging members of the public to be vigilant and desist from patronising motorcyclists and commercial bus drivers wearing a fake security uniform, Egbeyemi disclosed that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu has directed that both suspects be charged to court for prosecution.
