6th April, 2011
The police at the Bar Beach Division, Victoria Island, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, have arrested a man extorting money from members of the public and parading himself as a police constable. The suspect, John Jimoh, 36, was arrested on 25 March, 2011 at Cowry Black Bus Stop along Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos State.
The police alleged that he was arrested at a checkpoint when he presented himself as a police constable with false identity card bearing a forged signature of the Inspector-General of Police dated 5 October, 2005.
During interrogation, he allegedly denied being a policeman and was charged before the Igbosere Magistrate’s Court on a four-count charge of forgery and stealing, offences punishable under Sections 516, 467 and 484 of the Criminal Code, Cap.C.17, Vol.11, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2004.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and the presiding magistrate granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The magistrate also directed that the sureties must show evidence of payment of tax to the Lagos State government and one of them must be a relative of the accused.
The matter has been adjourned till 15 April, 2011 while the accused was remanded in prison because he could not perfect the conditions attached to the bail.
—Paul Iyoghojie