The Lagos State Police Rapid Response Squad (RRS) has arrested a 42-year-old man for allegedly impersonating a soldier and engaging in robbery and abduction.
The suspect, a dismissed army sergeant and ex-convict, was detained on Saturday under the Ikeja Underbridge after being identified by one of his victims near Computer Village.
According to the RRS, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had approached his victim on December 30, 2024, accusing him of bumping into him and causing the loss of a gold ring.
“The suspect claimed to be an army officer and displayed an identification card to support his claim. He then threatened to take his victim to an army barracks in Oshodi if the gold ring was not produced,” the RRS stated.
The investigation revealed that the suspect called an accomplice who arrived on a motorcycle. Pretending to escort the victim to the barracks, they instead took him to the Third Mainland Bridge, where they robbed him of an iPhone 13 and some cash before abandoning him.
The stolen iPhone 13 was later sold for N150,000 at Computer Village, Ikeja.
Further inquiries showed that the suspect had previously been arrested in 2024 for a similar crime and was imprisoned. Recovered from the suspect were a Nigerian Army cap and a fake army identification card.
The RRS confirmed that the suspect has been handed over to the Commissioner of Police’s Special Squad for further investigation.
NAN
