Nigeria Police Force, Federal Capital Territory Command says it has arrested an alleged serial fraudster who specialized in impersonating legal practitioners and senior law enforcement officers to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
A statement titled “FCT police arrest 61 years old fake assistant Inspector General of Police” issued on Wednesday by the command’s spokesman, DSP Josephine Adeh, said the suspect was nabbed on Sunday.
According to her, the arrest followed a series of petitions and reports at various formations and units of the Police Command.
She said the alleged imposter, identified as Olakunle Adesola, a 61-year-old resident of Liberty Estate by Spring Road AMAC, Abuja, was arrested by the command’s intelligence asset attached to the Anti-violence Crime section of the State Criminal investigations department (SCID ) at Our Lady Queen of Cathedral Church Area III where scores of unsuspecting worshippers have reportedly been defrauded.
The PPRO further stated that the suspect’s modus operandi was to impersonate senior police officers between the ranks of Commissioner and Assistant Inspector General of Police, top-ranking EFCC officials, and/or a legal practitioner who owns a law firm by the name Dr Kunle Adeshola & Associate.
She said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the suspect successfully defrauded many to the tune of about N10 million before his arrest on Sunday.
The statement added, “The suspects, when interviewed, confessed to having been a perpetrator of this criminal enterprise as far back as the year 1980. Upon the arrest, several forged documents, unissued police gear, tear gases, and forged academic documents from various learning institutions were recovered in possession of the suspect.
“While discrete investigation and effort to apprehend co-perpetrators of this criminal enterprise are ongoing, the Commissioner of Police FCT Command CP Babaji Sunday Psc wishes to categorically state that the suspect has absolutely no past or present affiliation with the Police in status or otherwise and at any level.
“Members of the public are therefore advised to be weary of such unscrupulous elements who parade themselves in such manner as the above or any other in other to defraud members of the public.
“The CP also wishes to reaffirm the Command’s commitment to bringing crime and criminality in all its forms and expression to the barest minimum”.
