Photos: Two fake Naval officers arrested in Lagos State

Operatives of the X-squad unit of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested two fake Naval officers and their accomplice, a tailor who makes their fake uniform.

The suspects, identified as Chukwueke Kingsley 26, Chidi Ibrahim 25 and Alaba Akanni 20 were paraded this morning at the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos by Dolapo Badmus, the Zonal PPRO in charge of Lagos and Ogun State.

According to her, the prime suspects Chukwueke Kingsley and Chidi Ibrahim were arrested at about 10: 30 pm on Friday, May 5, 2017, while robbing a civilian of his car and valuables at Ijora Bridge.

She told LIB that on the day of the incident, the suspects drove their bike to overtake the victim's car in traffic, ordered him to park at the roadside where they began to collect his belongings.

In the process of the robbery, the PPRO said the officers of the X-squad unit who were on patrol saw the situation and arrested them on the spot.

On the case of the tailor who helps them in making fake uniforms, she said further investigation led to his arrest.

During the operation, the operatives of the X-squad unit recovered a Toyota  Corolla 2005, N12, 500, Naval uniform, Camouflage bag/shirt/cap and two singlets.

LIB had a chat with the ringleader, Chukwueke Kingsley, who is an Okada rider from Imo State. When asked where he got the Naval uniforms from, he said:

'I bought the material at Badagry and made the uniform just in case Navy get to accept me because I love Navy job and I have been applying since 2006 for Navy, Army and Police.'

On why he committed the crime, he simply denied saying:

'I wasn't wearing the uniform when police arrested me, it was inside my bag. I didn't rob him, I wish the complainant will testify to it.

'He bashed somebody's car, so when I was driving my bike I heard him calling for help in Igbo after the accident occurred and the driver had already seized his car key.

'He spoke to me in person telling me to help him that if I can help him in getting back his car key, he would give me 3000. After pleading on his behalf he brought out just 1k to give me which wasn't our agreement.

'In the process of me searching his pocket, policemen arrived at the scene and that was how I was arrested.'

The second suspect, Chidi Ibrahim, is a former hair barber who went into Okada business in other to make enough money.

Chidi whose father is from Jos and his Mother from Imo State was caught at the scene wearing a military singlet and short, but denied committing any crime.

'I don't do such, am a scout. On that faithful day, I carried a passenger to Ijora from wharf, on my way back I saw Kingsley and the complainant arguing on the road and I stopped to interfere that was how I was arrested.'

When LIB spoke to the complainant, Pascal Umeokafor, a trader in Lagos who sells vehicle tires, he said:

'On way home that day, they double crossed me and surrounded me. They collected my car key, my money and my two phones.

'Thank God for the policemen who quickly arrived at the scene. When they came they interrogated one of the fake Naval staff, When they asked for his Identity he couldn't provide it and that was how he and his accomplice got arrested' he added.

The suspects will be charged to court on completion of the ongoing investigation.