In a twist of impersonation, the Sokoto State Police Command has apprehended a 27-year-old man, Abdulnasir Bello, for posing as the state’s Deputy Superintendent of Police to swindle unsuspecting individuals.
According to the PUNCH, the state’s Commissioner of Police, CP Ali Kaigama, who disclosed this during a parade of suspects at the command headquarters in Sokoto on Thursday, pointed out that the arrest followed a string of complaints from victims.
Bello allegedly deceived his victims with promises of facilitating their recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force.
He said, “Sometimes in 2018, one Danjuma Garba of Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State and three others reported at the state CID Sokoto that one Police officer named Abdulnasir Bello confronted him and collected the sum of N420,000 to get them into the Nigerian Police Force.
“On a tip-off, on 21/05/2024, at about 1400hrs, one operative of the Sokoto State Police Headquarters confronted one Abdulnasir Bello of Bado Area, Sokoto in the Police Headquarters premises.
“On interrogation the suspect confessed to have been impersonating Police since 2016, parading himself as a DSP and performing illegal duty. He is also collecting money from parents under the pretence of getting their children recruited into the Police Force”
The CP added, “During the conduct of the search in his residence, some exhibits were recovered which included Police training manual, NPF guarantor form, letter of introduction, letter of provisional offer for constable of police and photograph of passport of 27 applicants.
“Others include Police Face Cap and Camouflage cap, a photocopy of forged police identity card with all the forged documents were designed and printed by one Abdulaziz Shuaib, a 29 years old resident of Bado Area”
He added that the suspect would soon face charges in court.
