The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 25-year-old man, Bukola Olabode, for allegedly defrauding Point of Sale operators and residents of Ihunbo in the Ipokia Local Government Area while posing as a police officer.

Some residents of the area reportedly apprehended the suspect on Tuesday, and handed him over to officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, who later transferred him to the police at the Idiroko Division.

The police command disclosed that the suspect’s modus operandi involved wearing a police camouflage shirt over jeans trousers to execute fraudulent transactions using PoS machines.

The suspect was arrested when he attempted to carry out a similar fraudulent act at the PoS stand of an operator identified as Mary Midoyin.

The operator was said to have discovered the deception and raised the alarm, forcing the suspect to attempt to flee the scene.

The residents however gave him a hot chase and eventually apprehended him.

Speaking on the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, said, “The suspect was dressed in a police camouflage shirt, cap, and jeans when he committed the crime. Upon realising his cover had been blown, he quickly made a fake transfer to Mary Midoyin, a PoS operator, and collected N60,000 before fleeing the scene.

“Residents pursued and apprehended the suspect, handing him over to the NSCDC office in Ihunbo before he was transferred to the Idiroko Police Division. He has since confessed to defrauding PoS operators in the community.”

“A Samsung phone, a black Itel phone used for the fraud, and a police constabulary warrant card were recovered from the suspect. Additionally, a round-neck T-shirt was found in his possession. He has since been detained,” the PPRO added.