I charge N80,000 To Escort Trucks, Says Fake Lieutenant Colonel

By: Okosun Dennis

It was a tale of woes on Thursday at the 81 Division Nigerian Army, Kofo Abayomi, Lagos when some military impostors narrated gory tales of what led them into using military uniform to commit sundry crimes.

Given a gloomy picture of how he got into using military uniform, the dismissed regiment, Corporal Afolabi Hassan, 45 years old from Abeokuta in Ogun, who impersonated a Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigerian Army said that he was lured into using Military Police dresses because it was more lucrative to him than other uniforms.

Adding that he regretted every moment after being arrested by Operation Checkmate conducted by 81 Division Provost Company, Nigerian Army Cantonment, Ojo-Lagos.

The fake soldier revealed that he was nabbed through a well orchestrated decoy operation at Abule Egba when he was at the verge of negotiating a family land for sale to an elder brother of a soldier.

“I was arrested by military police after I had a call from a soldier that his elder brother wanted to buy a land. Unfortunately, I was picked in the process and taken to my house for a search and all these items were found in my house. I was in civilian dress when I was arrested.”

Asked why he singled out Military Police uniform and accoutrements, he explained, “I was once a soldier but was dismissed in 2016 after embarking on Absent Without Leave (AWOL). He added, “my choice of Military Police dresses is because it was more lucrative to me considering that they (MP) can go out more than any other soldier.

“I have been using these uniforms for the past one year to escort trucks from Mile 2 to Tin Can Island and I charge N80,000. During such trips, I use about N50,000 to bribe Police and Road Safety and the balance goes into my pocket,” he reiterated.

Among those paraded were dismissed soldiers, a voluntarily retired soldier, commercial bus drivers and Okada riders who used Army uniforms and identity card to commit various heinous crimes and other civilians who wore army uniform to provide escorts and security to celebrities.

However, while briefing journalists in his office, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division Nigerian Army, Maj Gen Olu Irefin said one thing “the lockdown has done for Lagos State is that our Operation Checkmate, usually met for our soldiers for breaking the law, is yielding more results than we planned for.”

He explained that the 13 impostors paraded were deeply involved in the acts of impersonation using military uniforms and acourtrements. “You will be shocked at the level at which they are impersonating. We have among them a fake Lieutenant Colonel and a Major. They have frames in their various houses and when you check their internet pages, they are there as military men.

He further added, “the fake Lt Col used Provost Letter headed paper to apply for Visa. When all these people create problems within Lagos environs, people would say they are personnel of the Nigerian Army.

“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to every law abiding citizens and other security agencies that when they see soldiers on the road, they should be bold to ask for their identity card and where they have doubts, they should make contacts with military locations.

While acknowledging that the arrest of the impostors were made possible through information and Operation Checkmate, Gen Irefin reiterated that the operation would continue “until we clear Lagos of these kinds of people” denting the image of the military.

Several items recovered from the fake Lieutenant Colonel Afolabi included one Nigerian Army pullover; one woodland camuoflage T-Shirt; two pairs each of Nigerian Army Number 4 and 5 uniforms; a pair of Number 6 uniform, one white Military Police anklet, two pairs of brown anklets, five pairs of lanyards and three pairs of black work shoes.

Others were a pair of combat boots; six sets of Lt Col ranks with two each for NA Number 4, 5 and 6 dresses. Two Major rank badges; three sets of MP berets, one MP muffler; three white GD belts; one copy of posting of Nigerian Army officers ; forged 81 Provost Group letter headed paper and an enlarged photograph of the suspect in complete Number 4 dress.

Also, one Mr Allen Afolabi, who claimed to be a security provider and works with Systems Protection Executive Security limited was among those paraded. A resident of Olugba Community, along Ilogbo Road, Ogun state accepted that he actually committed the offence of impersonation but explained that he did a frame with a Captain badge to enable him deal with Omonile, land speculatos who were troubling him when his house was under construction. Several uniforms, two sign posts with inscription: “Military Zone keep off” were recovered from him.

Other impersonators paraded by the General Officer Commanding are: Mr Joseph Okere, who had voluntarily discharged from the Army but was arrested while escorting contraband with camuoflage uniform; Mr Emmanuel Akpaka of 6th Avenue Festac Town, was arrested on April 24 while intimidating and harrassing innocent civilians under the guise of being a Navy personnel. It was also learnt he provides escort and security to celebrities while wearing military uniform.

However, Mr Frank Eze, was said to provided escort to civilians, while Mr Amen Ameh from Shadawanka Borno state, a 2011 dismissed soldier for conduct prejudice to service discipline, was arrested on 28 April, 2020 in Festac Town wearing army uniform.

On his part, Mr Sunday Dagunduro Olawale was said to have impersonated as a personnel of the Nigerian Navy. The suspect who was arrested at Alaba International Market, Ojo resides at No 12 Saka Kayode Street, Okokomaiko, Lagos.

Other suspects are Mr Siasia Sunday; Mr Festus Nwanozie; Mr Ebenezer Adeleke who was using a valid Army identity card belonging to one soldier Lance Corporal Sa’adu Aminu, whom he had lived with before at Signals Barracks, Mile 2, Lagos; Mr Daramola Olumide; Mr Joel Akpan; Mr. Eze David; and Mr Frank Eze who was arrested on the 30 April, 2020 at Maza Maza for molesting innocent civilians while wearing camuoflage face cap.

Gen Irefin added that all the 13 suspects would be handed over to the Nigerian Police for prosecution.