A 43-year-old man, Lawal Hakeem, said he impersonated a policeman to
get money to fight excruciating hunger.
Hakeem was arrested along with Abiodun Ibrahim, 32, at Mile 2 area of
the Lagos metropolis by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS).
The suspect, who was found with a fake police identity card, said he
used to be a policeman, but was dismissed for deserting.
Hakeem, who resides at 16, Shittu Ajiron, Ajangbadi in Ojo Local
Government Area, said: “I got enlisted into the police on April 4,
1989 with force number; 180939 before I was dismissed last year due to
absenteeism from work after the death of my wife. Since that time,
things have not been easy for me. I was only parading myself as a
policeman only to find means of livelihood.”
The RRS Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Olatunji
Disu, said his men, while on patrol duty, sighted the suspects who
were in mufti and became suspicious of their furtive movements.
According to him the RRS men approached the suspects to find out their
business in the area.
The duo, believing that esprit de corps would get the policemen off
their back, introduced themselves as policemen. But rather than allow
them to go, the RRS men probed them further.
During interrogation, Hakeem whipped out a police identity card, later
found to be fake. Immediately both of them were arrested.
On his part, Ibrahim confessed that he was not a policeman, but
Hakeem’s intimate friend. He added that he was just trying to settle
dispute that ensued between Hakeem and a private car driver at the
spot before the arrival of the police at the scene.
Hakeem appealed to the police to forgive him, promising not to
impersonate anyone again.