9th August, 2017
A 20-year-old security guard, Oluwatosin Ajayi, who allegedly impersonated a soldier, was on Wednesday brought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.
The accused, who resides at Ajah area of Lagos, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge of impersonation brought against him.
The prosecutor, Insp. Clement Okuoimose, said the accused committed the offence on Wemco Road, Ogba, Lagos.
Okuoimose said the accused unlawfully paraded himself as a soldier when he stopped a man, Isaiah Olayinka and searched him.
“The accused stopped the complainant, introduced himself as a soldier and ordered him to raise up his hands so that he could search him.
“The complainant complied and the accused dipped his hands in his pocket and asked him to surrender all the items in it.
“Unfortunately for the accused, a police patrol team stopped and questioned him; he told them he was a soldier and that he had the right to search people for `security reasons’.
“The police asked him to produce his identity card but he could not. He later confessed that he was not a soldier and that he was doing the `job’ to make ends meet,” he told the court.
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The offence contravened Section 77 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015(Revised).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused may be jailed for three years if found guilty, according to the provisions of Section 77.
The Magistrate, Mrs Y.O. Ekogbulu, admitted the accused to a bail of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Ekogbulu said the sureties must be gainfully employed with an evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
She adjourned the case until Aug. 30 for mention.