By Michael Ofulue,  Osogbo

|

A 37-year-old fake military personnel , David Agbebaku, at the weekend told the police that he had been using army uniform to dupe unsuspecting victims.

Agbebaku and his accomplice, identified as Ibrahim Ajibola, 27, were among 13 other suspects paraded by the Osun State Police Command at the weekend in Osogbo, Osun State capital.

Parading the suspects before newsmen at Police Headquarters in Osogbo, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Olawale Olokode said the fake army  officers were arrested for allegedly obtaining money under false pretense and impersonation.

They were alleged to have obtained the sum of N300,000 under false pretenses from the complainant and fled until March 2, 2022 when they were arrested by the police.

According to Olokode, investigation revealed that one of the fake soldiers, Agbebaku, was once arrested in Akure, Ondo State, for the offence of impersonation and stealing and remanded at Olokuta Correctional Centre, Akure sometime in 2019, but was later released in January, 2020.

He stated that Agbebaku, in his confessional statement, mentioned one Ibrahim Ajibola, who was arrested at a different location.

Olokode disclosed that both fake military officers conspired to sell one stolen Honda Accord car with number plate RGB-399-MB, to a dealer at Abeokuta in Ogun State.

He told journalists that the duo paraded themselves in the society as Army Captain and Lieutenant respectively.

Olokode hinted that the sum of N320,000, Infinix Hot8 phone and many other stolen items including soldier Identification cards were recovered from them.

The police commissioner also revealed that the fake soldiers and one Lance Corporal Ebimiyen Emmanuel of 2 division, Ibadan and one other allegedly went to a Licensing office in Osun State, fully dressed in Nigeria Army Uniform with a rifle to obtain a number plate for a Honda car believed to be stolen which was also recovered as exhibit.

Olokode, said the suspects, would be charged to court soon after conclusion of investigation.

Other suspects paraded were arrested for various offences ranging from armed robbery, fraud, stealing, house breaking, child stealing among other crimes.

Speaking in an interview with The Hope Metro, Agbebaku said,” I was declared deserter by  the Army authority and later dismissed from the job and since then, I have been impersonating as a Captain to extort money from innocent members of the public while pretending to be a genuine serving military officer in the Nigerian Army.

“I have been using it as a means to survive since I have no other job to cater for my family.”