22nd June, 2010
The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu State, Nigeria, Major-General Mohammed Isa, has paraded a fake army officer, Godwin Awawe, who was a labourer with Global Tex Group of companies based in Port Harcourt.
The suspect, who impersonated as Abram Musa, allegedly forged army identity card and logo to perpetrate his illegal activities.
The GOC stated that the suspect was arrested in Abakaliki for claiming to be an army officer to collect money from public and government officials by using printed cards of Nigerian Army Control Programme purported to be used for deceased and wounded soldiers.
According to General Mohammed, the chairman of Ebonyi State People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Dave Umuachi, alerted the Army when the suspect visited him soliciting support for the programme.
The Army authorities told the PDP boss to play along. The suspect, he said, was later arrested while collecting N2,000 from him.
“The Nigerian Army has never delegated anybody to collect money on behalf of deceased soldiers,†General Isa said.When he was interviewed by P.M.NEWS, Awawe, an indigene of Ugbokolo in Benue State, said: “I felt like disappearing into the air when I was arrested by the Army,†adding that he had been living on the proceeds of “the programme†since February last year.
According to him, Godwin Agbo, who is at large, introduced the illegal business to him, convincing him that the programme was a goldmine.
Meanwhile, during the parade, the GOC called for a change of attitude on the part of members of the public.
He blamed the likes of Godwin for giving Nigeria a bad name by using their brain in a negative way. He said the suspect will be handed over to the police for prosecution.
—Jude Orji/Enugu