Police arrest dismissed officer over alleged impersonation

The Police Command in Lagos has arrested a 48-year-old dismissed policeman for allegedly impersonating as a serving police inspector.

The Command’s Spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Friday in Lagos.

Hundeyin said that the suspect, who was parading himself as a police inspector in Ogudu GRA, Ojota, Lagos, was arrested by operatives of Lagos Rapid Response Squad (RRS).

“The impersonator was escorting a Volkswagen Golf conveying stainless iron to a construction site in Ogudu GRA, Kosofe, when the operatives arrested him as he was about to flee the scene,” he said.

Hundeyin said that while being interrogated by the Commander of Lagos RRS Squad, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, the suspect could not give satisfactory answers to prove that he was a serving member of the police force.

“The suspect was dismissed in 2020 and preliminary investigations revealed that he was dismissed from the force in 2020 for desertion.

“Upon further investigation, it was discovered that since his dismissal, he had been in the criminal act of escorting cars and trucks conveying goods to any part of Lagos for a fee,” he said.

The police spokesperson said that the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Idowu Owohunwa, commended the RRS team members for their achievements.

According to him, Owohunwa has warned those impersonating police officers in Lagos to reconsider their actions or be prepared for a tough time henceforth.

He said that the suspect would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation.