Lagos Police Arrest Fake Cop for Extortion

Chiemelie Ezeobi

The Lagos State Police Command wednesday arrested a suspect, 32-year-old Austin Okwuokei, for impersonating and parading himself as a policeman at the Costain area of the state, where he was extorting money from commercial motorists.

Dressed in police uniform, the suspect who was picked up from the Costain roundabout in Iponri area, was said to have been successfully extorting money from unsuspecting motorists, who he forced to part with money.

THISDAY gathered from preliminary police investigations that the suspect, who is actually a civilian, makes an average of N10,000 daily by extorting motorists.

He was said to have been picked up by detectives attached to Iponri Police Division, based on a tip off, and when he was accosted by some policemen, he could not identify himself.

The suspect had earlier told members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at Costain that he was a member of the special team on road decongestion that was recently set up by the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja.

Confirming the arrest, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmas, a Superintendent of Police, said the suspect would be charged to court for impersonation

She said: “The suspect is currently under going interrogation in the state police command. He will soon be charged to court.

“The command’s police public relations officer hereby informs members of the public to be vigilant and not part with their hard earned money to anyone who claims to be police or even wears police uniform as the leadership of the force abhors any form of corruption.”