Operatives of the Police command in Lagos State have arrested a man who allegedly paraded himself as a police officer before commercial motorcyclists, whom he allegedly defrauded of the sum of N670,000.
SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the command’s public relations officer, confirmed the arrest to journalists on Sunday.
Mr Hundeyin while speaking said that the suspect was arrested after information about his activities was received for allegedly printing a fake police ID card and issuing the same to some motorcyclists, who paid him between N50,000 and N70,000.
He said that the purpose of issuing them the card was to serve as ‘police errand boys’, should they be stopped at any security checkpoint, particularly a police checkpoint.
“It is a case of conspiracy, impersonation, obtaining money under pretence and stealing.
“We got information on December 12 against one Michael Utsu and others now at large.
“The suspect, on October 25, presented himself to be a police officer attached to Zone 2 Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos and was collecting passport photographs from commercial motorcyclists.
“He promised to print them a police plastic identity card meant for errand boys to police, using different police formations for the ID card issued to the motorcyclists, collecting between N50,000 and N70,000 on each ID card issued,” he said.
He added that the suspect confessed to the crimes, stressing that the cards printed were given to motorcyclists on the Ojo, Okokomaiko and Ajangbadi axis of Lagos and collected the amount from the victims.
Mr Hundeyin said that the suspect would be charged in court upon completion of the investigation.
(NAN)
