Police command in Lagos parades fake Commissioner of Police, 12 others

The Police Command in Lagos, says it has apprehended an impersonator who has been parading himself before the public as a Police Commissioner.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest on Monday while briefing newsmen on the recent achievements recorded by the command.

According to him, the feat included the arrest of 12 others for various offences committed in the last two weeks.

He said that within the period, the command recovered four firearms, two live cartridges, one expended cartridge, 11 live ammunition and one vehicle from culprits.

He added that other items recovered were two wrist watches, six phones, some quantities of weed, suspected to be variant of drugs, walkie-talkie, Police warrant cards and police camouflage cap and singlet.

The image maker said  the suspected “fake CP”, simply identified as Emmanuel, was arrested on Sept. 2, at about 4.40 p.m. when he visited a police formation in Ikorodu area and introduced himself as a Commissioner of Police.

“He was fully regarded as such but upon questioning, he was discovered to be an impersonator.

“During a search in his residence, we recovered a Deputy Commissioner of Police warrant card, an Assistant Commissioner of Police warrant card, Kenwood walkie-talkie, police camouflage singlet and face cap,” he said.

Similarly, the spokesperson said that another impersonator was arrested on Sept. 4 following a complaint from the Nigeria Bar Association, Epe Area of Lagos.

Hundeyin said that the suspect, one Ibrahim Bello, has allegedly been conducting and presenting himself as a Lawyer at the Epe Magistrate Courts for several years.

According to him, operatives of the Command arrested the suspect fully dressed in a lawyer’s regalia in the court where he went to depend a client.

“He was brought in for questioning, where he was discovered to be an impersonator,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that items found with him, which were also paraded, include his portrait with inscription: “Bello Law Firm Office, Obas & Chiefs of Lagos State Law, Tenancy Law 2015, Due Process of Law and Law of Trespass of Land and Nuisance.

When the suspect was interviewed, he claimed to be an estate agent and not a lawyer.

Hundeyin said other suspects arrested included a woman, arrested on Sunday at about 1.00 p.m., in the Igbogbo area of Ikorodu for allegedly being in possession of a large quantity of weed, suspected to be hard drugs.

He said the woman was found with 97 wraps of colos, 22 wraps of loud, some mixtures of loud and Arizona and a sum of N271,600, her proceeds as at the time of arrest.

He added that other suspects were arrested for alleged rape, armed robbery, cultism, and defilement, adding that after discreet investigation, the suspects would be prosecuted before a competent court of law.