Watch Out For Impersonators, CP Odumosu Tells DPOs

Lagos Police Commissioner (CP) Hakeem Odumosu Thursday declared war on impersonators with marching orders to Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) to clampdown on such persons.

He was reacting to the arrest of a 45-year-old man, Anya Okorie, arrested for alleged impersonation of a Police Inspector.

Okorie, a resident of 7, Alabata Street, Ikotun, was apprehended on full Police attire by operatives attached to Ketu Division and handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Yaba for investigation.

Similarly, police operatives arrested one Usman Ali, 21, a motorcyclist who posed as a soldier of the Nigerian Army and chased another motorcyclist into a police division in Surulere and attacked the victim with a jack knife.

Irked by the spate of fake policemen and military personnel including dismissed servicemen flouting laws of the state, Odumosu said such persons must be fished out and brought to justice.

According to him, most unsuspecting residents were being deceived by the conducts and antics of these impersonators, directing that all cops in the state must henceforth, possess either a warrant card or their identification card even when they are on uniform.

According to a statement by spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the CP directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) SCID Panti, Adegoke Fayoade to diligently prosecute the suspects.

“The fake Inspector, Anya Okorie, was arrested on complete police uniform with the rank of Inspector of Police at Ketu while parading himself in a suspicious manner; Usman was arrested within the premises of Surulere Division when he and his accomplice, now at large, chased and attacked one Onyema, with a jack knife in the Division, putting on camouflage vests.

“The two suspects have since confessed to being fake police officer and Army personnel respectively. In fact, Usman further confessed to be an Okada operator.

“Items recovered from Okorie are two mopol berets, two lanyards, two mobile police khaki trousers, three mobile T-shirts, Sgt Rank and Mobile Squadron badges, while Army Camouflage vest and Jack knife were recovered from Usman,” he said.