8th December, 2021
By Jethro Ibileke
Officials of the Edo State Public Works Volunteers (PUWOV), have arrested one Sunday James, suspected to be a fake military officer.
The suspect was arrested on Tuesday at the King’s Square (Ring Road), for allegedly impersonating and parading himself as an officer of the Nigerian Army.
The identity card found on him carried the rank of a Colonel.
He was said to have been intimidating and oppressing residents and traders in the Benin metropolis.
The State Commander of PUWOV, Mukhtar Yusuf-Osagie, announced the arrest of the suspect on Wednesday.
He said the suspect was arrested with a fake military identification card from the Civil Intelligence Agency (CIA).
According to the PUWOV Commander, the suspected fake soldier was arrested following intelligence and complaints from residents in the area.
He added that the suspect has been handed over to the Oba Market Police Division for further investigation and prosecution.
“Officials of PUWOV have apprehended one Sunday James for impersonating and parading as an officer of the Nigerian Army at the Oba Ovonranmen Square in Benin City. The suspect was arrested wearing military uniforms, with a fake identity card.
“His arrest followed a tip-off that the suspect has been presenting himself as a serving soldier in the area for a while, and has been intimidating and harassing residents, traders and others in the Oba Ovonranmen Square and environs.
“The suspect ran out of luck on December 7, 2021, when he went on with his normal business of harassing and intimidating residents on Camouflage T-shirt, when he was apprehended by PUWOV officials.”
“He has been handed over to the Oba Market Police Division for further investigation and prosecution,” he said.