13th December, 2010
A 29-year-old man, Ali Mohammed, has been arraigned at the Shomolu Magistrate’s Court 12 for allegedly impersonating a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army and assaulting a police officer.
In the three-count charge, it was alleged that Alli Mohammed on 23 November, 2010 at about 2.am along the Bajulaiye area, in the Shomolu Magisterial District  impersonated a member of the Nigerian Army and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 109 of the criminal code Cap 17 Vol. 11 laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.
The magistrate’s court, presided over by Mr. O. B. Osunsanmi heard that, the accused was accosted by an anti-robbery patrol team led by Sergeant Sunday Sejah in a criminal hideout where he allegedly went to smoke Indian hemp.
When he was challenged by the patrol team, he said he was a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army from the Myoung Barracks at Shomolu.
Police sources revealed that Mr. Mohammed is actually a fake army officer and has been parading himself as a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army.
One of the sources at the Police Station who pleaded anonymity said: “This is not the first time he has claimed to be an army officer. He has been deceiving people for long and has even come to the station pretending to be an army officer, and asked us to release some offenders. We now know that he was dismissed from the Nigerian Army.â€
The suspect also allegedly fought with one of the officers and beat him up before he was overpowered, arrested and taken to Alade Police Station for interrogation.
Mohammed, however pleaded not guilty to the allegations, saying: “I used to be an officer but I was not dismissed. I resigned last year due to the bullet I got from a peace keeping mission. I am only using this to sustain myself so I did not do anything wrong. I fought the officers because they were not cooperating. I beat him up when they hit me on my stomach. So I am not guilty.”
Mr. Mohammed was granted bail in the sum of N200,000 and adjourned the case till 12Â January 2011.
—Lucky Lawal