Fake Soldier With CIA Card Arrested in Edo, Residents Allege Intimidation
Fake Soldier With CIA Card Arrested in Edo, Residents Allege Intimidation
Officials of the Edo State Public Works Volunteers have arrested one Sunday James, an alleged fake military officer, who has been intimidating and oppressing residents and traders in the Benin metropolis.
The PUWOV state commander, Mukhtar Yusuf-Osagie, who disclosed this to journalists in Benin City, said the suspect was arrested at the Oba Ovonramwen Square in Benin, with a fake military identification card from the Civil Intelligence Agency.
According to Yusuf-Osagie, the suspected fake soldier was arrested following intelligence and complaints from residents in the area, adding that the suspect has been handed over to the Oba Market Police Division for further investigation and prosecution.
Fake Soldier With CIA Card Arrested in Edo, Residents Allege Intimidation
He said, “Officials of PUWOV have apprehended one Sunday James for impersonating and parading as an officer of the Nigerian Army at the Oba Ovonranmen Square in Benin City. The suspect was arrested wearing military uniforms, with a fake identity card.
“His arrest followed a tip-off that the suspect has been presenting himself as a serving soldier in the area for a while, and has been intimidating and harassing residents, traders and others in the Oba Ovonranmen Square and environs.
“The suspect ran out of luck on December 7, 2021, when he went on with his normal business of harassing and intimidating residents on Camouflage T-shirt when he was apprehended by PUWOV officials.”
NDLEA arrests fake solider with ammunition, communication gadgets for bandits
The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a suspected fake soldier, Hayatu Galadima and his accomplice, Hamisu Adamu.
They were in possession of hard drugs, ammunition and communication equipment suspected to be for use by bandits in Kaduna State.
NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, said in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja that the duo was arrested around Gwagwalada, on the outskirts of Abuja on Thursday, September 30.
He stated that items recovered from them included 21 RLA 7.45mm ammunition concealed in a water bottle; 16 packs of new two-way radio (walkie-talkie); four army-coloured head masks and a wallet containing an army identity card.
Babafemi added that also found in the possession of the duo were ATM cards issued by FCMB, First Bank, ECO Bank, UBA, Skye Bank and one U.S. dollar.
Also recovered from them were Indian hemp, tablets of tramadol, three MTN, two 9mobile and one Airtel SIM card packs and one iPhone 12 pro cell phone.
“Others include one Samsung A31, one Nokia phone, seven Nigerian Army pass letters, five handbags and one “Bagco’’ bag containing personal belongings, as well as a gallon of palm oil.
“One of the suspects, Galadima, claimed to be an army Lance Corporal serving in Ibadan, and that they were taking the exhibits to Kaduna and Kano,’’ Babafemi stated.
He stressed that preliminary investigation indicated that the suspects may have contact with bandits in the North-Western parts of the country.
Babafemi stated that the suspects were possibly moving the ammunition and the two-way radios to bandits who were presently excommunicated due to the suspension of telecommunications services in Zamfara, Sokoto and Kaduna states, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
He quoted the NDLEA Chairman, retired Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (retd)., as directing the FCT Command of the agency, which made the arrest, to transfer the suspects to relevant authorities for further investigation.
This, he said included the Nigerian Army and another intelligence agency which had earlier placed the two men on their watch list, for further investigation.
