A 48-year-old man, who was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command
for impersonating a policeman, said he did it to get favours from members
of the public.
The suspect, Felix Braimoh, told policemen at the Special Anti-Robbery
Squad that he usually got free rides from private and commercial drivers
by wearing police uniform.
The suspect, who claimed to be a driver, however, said he never extorted
money from members of the public.
The Edo State indigene said, “I am a driver and I have worked for
several companies. However, after I had a hernia surgery, the company I
was working with decided to sack me. I was given N32,000 and asked to
leave.
“I used part of my savings to set up a barber shop and a music studio.
However, I could not make ends meet as a barber and a deejay and things
became very difficult.”
The suspect told PUNCH Metro that when he could no longer pay his
children’s school fees, he got police accoutrement and started wearing
them to get favours from members of the public.
He said, “I have five children and I could no longer pay their school fees.
One of my friends, who is a mobile policeman gave me an old pair of
trousers. I put it on and then bought a cap and a pair of boots from a
Man O War official.
“Anytime, I’m going out, I enter commercial buses or motorcycles free of
charge. I was saving a lot of money on transport.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect was arrested during the last
environmental sanitation exercise.
It was learnt that he had put on the police cap and boots in order to
avoid being challenged by environmental task force officials.
He said, “On that day, I went to do some work in my shop but on my way
back, around Cele Bridge, I saw a policeman on a motorcycle and I flagged
him down and asked him to give me a lift to Ejigbo. On our way to Ejigbo,
the man asked me where I was serving but I opened up to him and told
him I was not a real policeman.
“The man stopped his ride and we got into an argument. Around that time,
a police patrol vehicle was driving by and the policemen spotted us. I was
arrested and taken to Ikotun Police Division.”
The suspect however pleaded with the police to let him go as he had never
claimed to be a policeman.
“I never used the uniform to extort money. Even after I was arrested,
policemen went to my house and conducted a search. They did not find
anything incriminating,” he said.
The spokesperson for the state police command, Damasus Ozoani, said the
suspect would be charged to court.
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