MICHAEL AKINOLA
The Police intelligence team at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, Lagos, has arrested six men for allegedly recruiting themselves into the Nigerian Army and using their uniforms to extort members of the public.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspects included, John Julius, 37, Ayowole Sundries, 38, Samson Ayomide 19, Haruna Emmanuel, 43, Ameh Ameh, 45 and Samuel Adeleke, 25.
The suspects were arrested at Ikeja area of Lagos, where they were extorting innocent people with Army uniforms before they ran out of luck and they were arrested by the Police operatives on routine monitoring in the area.
They initially told the Police that they were Military personnel but when they were unable to provide evidence, they were taken to the SCID and detained for interrogation.
During interrogation, they confessed that they were not Military personnel and they were using the uniforms found on them to extort money from people.
The Police found them culpable and subsequently charged them before the Yaba Magistrates Court for impersonation, which attracts several years of imprisonment if they are tried and found guilty before the Court.
When they were arraigned, they pleaded not guilty before the Court.
Hence, the prosecutor, Supol Rita Momah, then asked the Court to give a date for hearing since they pleaded not guilty before the Court to enable the Police to prove that they actually committed the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. Adeola Olatunbosun, granted them bail in the sum of N300,000 with two sureties in like sum, who must show evidence of means of livelihood.
They were remanded in Correctional Centre at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when they will perfect their bail conditions while the matter was adjourned for mention.