Man Arrested for Impersonating Police Officer

Fake Police

A 35 year-old man suspect­ed to have impersonated a police officer for over 12 years has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court.

The suspect, Godwin Akhenamen, was arrested by operatives of Lagos State Po­lice Command X-Squad on Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday, 30 June fully dressed in a police uniform.

Akhenamen was said to have been given away first by his bearded face and shabby dressing before he was finally undone by the service number on his uniform.

Upon being accosted the suspect, Sunday Sun gathered, had insisted that he was a po­lice officer. But the operatives who were not convinced by his insistence were said to have inquired from him who the Sol­omon Arase, Inspector General of the Police, was.

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The question was said to have thrown him of the bal­ance as he reportedly replied that he did not know who Solo­mon Arase was and neither did he have any problem with him.

He was subsequently arrest­ed and whisked to the state command office where upon interrogation, he reportedly confessed to haven imperson­ated a police officer in the last 12 years.

Akhenamen who was ar­raigned on three count charge bordering on false represen­tation pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The charges against him read: that you Godwin Akhenamen ‘M’ on 30th June, 2015 at about 0700hrs at Awolowo Way, Ike­ja, Lagos in the Lagos Magis­trate District with intent that you may be taken as a member of the Nigeria Police Force did falsely represent yourself to be a police officer and did act by virtues of such employment and thereby committed an of­fence punishable under Sec­tion 77 (a & b) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

That you Godwin Akhenamen ‘M’ on same date, time and place in the aforemen­tioned Magistrate District did unlawfully wear the uniform of the Nigeria Police Force bear­ing the insignia of the rank of a Police Corporal and thereby committed an offence punish­able under Section 79 (a & b) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

That you Godwin Akhenamen ‘M’ on same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magistrate District did have in your possession and control, the Nigeria Police accoutre­ment to wit: police uniform, barrette cap with crest, police belt, police lanyard, police but­tons and when you were asked to explain how you acquired them you were unable to give satisfactory explanation there­by committed an offence pun­ishable under Section 328 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

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The Presiding Magistrate, O.A Olayinka admitted the suspect to bail in the sum of N100, 000 with a surety in like sum. The surety must show evidence of tax payment in the last two years.

The matter was adjourned to July 30, 2015.