29th September, 2010
A 53-year old man, Sunday Ugochukwu, who has been parading himself as a police sergeant in the Nigeria Police Force has been arrested.
He has allegedly been duping members of the public and extorting money from commuter bus drivers and truck drivers bringing goods from other states.
Sunday was arrested yesterday by the operatives from the Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad, FSARS, Adeniji-Adele, Lagos Island, Nigeria.
Items recovered from him, the police said, include a police identity card and warrants of arrest.
Police investigation revealed that the suspect from Umuahia in Abia State is married and has three children. He resides at 3, Sikiru Alimi Street, Surulere, Lagos.
In his confessional statement to the police, Ugochukwu said he is a security officer attached to a security company at Costain area of Iganmu and his salary is N15,000 monthly.
“I promoted myself to a police sergeant after I succeeded in buying the uniform and identity card from Seme border to complement my meagre salary.
“I have never used the uniform to commit serious crime than extorting money from commuter bus drivers and truck drivers. Occasionally I arrest okada riders. My main reason for purchasing the uniform for N20,000 was to enjoy free ride in commuter buses,†he said.
He was arrested inside a LT 35 bus he escorted from Cele expressway along the Mile 2-Apapa expressway to CMS bus stop on Lagos Island, following complaints from members of the transport leaders at CMS/Apongbon axis over police harassment and extortion.
The fake policeman reportedly exposed himself when the vehicle he was escorting was stopped by the security operatives at CMS bus stop. Before the security men could ask anything, he alighted from the vehicle with boldness and identified himself as a police sergeant and claimed he was attached to the Iponri Police Division.
When he was asked who is the DPO & DCO of the Iponri Division, he could not mention their names. Sunday was immediately arrested and taken to the Federal SARS office.
—Paul Iyoghojie