A suspected Police Corporal impersonator, Samuel Ogabiadu, has narrated how he paid N127,000 to an unidentified Assistant Superintendent of Police to facilitate his employment with the Force.
He spoke after operatives from the FCT police command arrested him in Gwarinpa area of Abuja after he failed to prove his identity as a police officer.
Ogabiadu told newsmen: “I am a security personnel in My project security outfit.
“I was coming from my duty post around 2am and I was intercepted by policemen. When they intercepted me, I introduced myself to them as a policeman who was coming back from duty.
“I showed them my Police warrant ID card as a Corporal. I told them I was a policeman because they had already seen an ID card which had my passport on it.
“It all started in 2014 when a man told me he was an ASP. I usually meet him in Nyanya at the barracks. He told me he wanted help me to join the police since I was interested in it.
“I paid him N127, 000 to join the police and I thought the man was genuine though I have never seen him in police uniform. I always see him wear black on black.
“We met four times and during those meetings, he will call some people and ask: “That thing I did for you, did it work?” and the people will respond yes. After they leave, he will now tell me that he helped them get recruitment and even promotion into the Force.
“With the nature of conversation he had with them, I thought he was real. He gave me my ID card and promised to come later with my uniform and other kits.”
The suspect continued: “He also told me that the Nigeria Police Force have already made bus available that would convey us to Osun state where I have been posted to.
“He later gave me uniform and asked me to wear it and he snapped me.
“After three days of snapping me, he invited me and gave me the ID card but he collected the uniform from me. He also told me we would be going to Osun state the following day.
“On the day we were to depart to Osun, I called him and he refused to pick. When he eventually picked, he told me that I was very stupid and unserious that I was late to the departure venue.
“He said if I was a serious person, I would meet them in Osun state. I took the next available bus to Osun but I did not see him.”
He also told The Nation that he has passion for uniform works though he had tried couple of times without success.
“I would love to join the police because I love the uniform. I made attempts to join in the past but it was not fruitful. I also tried to join the Army but I was not recruited.
“When the policemen stopped me, one of them asked for my number and the unit I belong to but I did not know the response to give because the man did not sensitize me on what to say.”
Narrating how he was arrested, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, DCP Sunday Babaji said: “On 30th August 2029 at about 0200hrs, Police operatives on patrol at Gwarimpa arrested one Samuel Ogabaidu for impersonating to be a police officer.
“The suspect who was arrested while driving against traffic introduced himself to the patrol team as a Police Corporal. However, when questioned he confessed that he was not a Police.”
The DCP further said the Command was yet to ascertain his mission and also unravel the source of the security gadgets found in his possession which include one jack knife, a fake Police warrant card, improvised bullet proof vest, some security gadgets and accouterments..
The Police said he will be arraigned in court after conclusion of investigation.