I made N15,000 daily impersonating police

• says impersonating NPF fetches more money

By OKOSUN DENNIS

A 47-year-old man who has been impersonating Nigerian Police and engaging in reckless extorting of people, has been arrested by operatives of Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command.

The suspect, Gregory Anyasodo, who hails from Owerri North, Imo State, and was arrested on Thursday after stealing N125,000 from one of his victims, a trader in Oshodi.

National Daily learnt that the victim, Mrs Emmanuella Joseph, reported the victim to RRS officials stationed in Oshodi after Anyasodo had threatened to arrest and confiscate her hand bag containing N125,000.

It was gathered that a search carried out by the police around the area led to the arrest of Anyasodo and the recovery of a radio verisimilitude of a walkie-talkie and a Police Identity Card, which portrayed him as an Inspector with Force number 14873, and attached to Lagos Taskforce and Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

The suspect, whom National Daily gathered has confessed to seizing the traders bag but did not steal her money said, “I have been in the trade since December 2016. I came to Lagos before Christmas in preparation for The Lord’s Chosen convention in Lagos, which was held in February 2017 at Ijesha.

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“My early coming for the programme was for me to seize that opportunity to look for job in Lagos. When I couldn’t get a job, I ventured into impersonating the police,” he explained.

He further stated that, “I have been arrested six times in Owerri for impersonation. I have impersonated WAEC and JAMB officials. I have been arrested thrice by Shell Camp police, Owerri for impersonation.

“I am a father of six. I left my wife with six children when I was coming to Lagos. I have been sleeping in hotels since I got to Lagos.

“Occasionally, people allow me to sleep on the balconies and corridors of their house after I had convinced them that am a stranger. I make between N10,000 to N15, 000 daily parading myself as police officer and extorting innocent people.

“What I do is move closer to victims and tell them, mostly traders, of an offence committed. I will then show my identity card and I threatened to invite my colleagues if they failed to settle me. I collect the money and I move away,” he stated.

“I am sorry, I have not sent a dime to my wife in Owerri to take care of the six children I left in her possession but occasionally, I call her. I thought of impersonating police because it would fetch me more money,” he confessed.

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National Daily learnt that the graphic artist who designed the Police Identity Card for Anyasodo and the owner of the business centre where the ID card was processed, were arrested.

It was further gathered that the three suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba.