The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 25-year-old man, Bukola Olabode, who allegedly defrauded Level of Sale operators and residents of Ihunbo within the Ipokia Native Authorities Space whereas impersonating a police officer, Punch Metro studies.
Our correspondent learnt on Thursday that residents apprehended the suspect on Tuesday, and subsequently handed over to officers of the Nigerian Safety and Civil Defence Corps, who later transferred him to the police on the Idiroko Division.
The Ogun State Police Command revealed to PUNCH Metro that the suspect’s modus operandi concerned sporting a police camouflage shirt paired with denims to execute fraudulent transactions utilizing PoS machines.
The suspect met his Waterloo when he tried an analogous fraudulent act on the PoS stand of an operator named Mary Midoyin.
When his deception was found by the operator, the suspect was mentioned to have fled the scene.
PUNCH Metro nonetheless gathered that the residents pursued him, resulting in his eventual seize.
Odutola mentioned, “The suspect was wearing a police camouflage shirt, cap, and denims when he dedicated the crime. Upon realising his cowl had been blown, he rapidly made a pretend switch to Mary Midoyin, a PoS operator, and picked up N60,000 earlier than fleeing the scene.
“Residents pursued and apprehended the suspect, handing him over to the NSCDC workplace in Ihunbo earlier than he was transferred to the Idiroko Police Division. He has since confessed to defrauding PoS operators in the neighborhood.
“A Samsung telephone, a black Itel telephone used for the fraud, and a police constabulary warrant card have been recovered from the suspect. Moreover, a round-neck T-shirt was present in his possession. He has since been detained.”
In an analogous case reported by PUNCH Metro in 2022, a 38-year-old man, recognized as Akinyemi Thomas, was arrested for allegedly impersonating a police officer.
The suspect was apprehended on Thursday whereas sporting a full police camouflage uniform beneath the bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan Motorway.