Army arrests female impostor, 10 others

… I didn’t want to keep paying transport fare, I had to use the military cap, pretend to be a soldier
A female impostor who had been parading herself as an Army personnel and 10 others have been arrested by troops of Operation Checkmate of the 81 Division, Nigeria Army.
The female impostor who gave her name as Grace Ayeni  was arrested while wearing a military uniform at Agbara along Lagos/ Badagry Expressway

According to the 38 year old mother of one,  she had gotten the military uniform from her baby’s father who is a soldier serving in Maiduguri.

In her confessional statement, Ayeni said she only wore the uniform to avoid paying transportation fares when going out.

She said,  ” I was arrested while wearing a military cap.  I had gotten the cap from the father of my five year old daughter.  I only used the cap when going out and didn’t have money for transportation.

” I work as a security guard with Rescue and Guardian.  I was posted to secure a house at Agbara and I was earning N20,000 as my monthly pay.  The company however collects N5,000 from my pay as their Commission. On the day I was arrested,  I was going to Badagry to seek for financial help because my daughter was sick.

” It was while going that some Army personnel stopped the vehicle I had boarded and asked if I was a soldier.  I said yes and they requested for my identity card and I couldn’t produce one and that was how I was arrested.”

The General Officer Commanding 81 Division,  Major-General Enobong Udoh who paraded the suspects at 174 Battalion in Ikorodu on Thursday said the suspects were arrested at various locations in Lagos and Ogun States.

He said the impostors were allegedly arrested while perpetrating various acts of illegality dressed in military uniforms and noted that the arrest of the  suspects further buttresses the fact that not every soldier is a soldier.

Udoh revealed that since he took over leadership of the Division,  he had ensured that Soldiers remained in the barracks and that those who go about causing havoc are not real soldiers.

In a similar operation in Reshe and Odokekere General area both in Ikorodu, troops of the Division have also arrested 11 suspected cultists that have been terrorising residents.

Udoh who also spoke on the arrests of the suspected cultists said,  ” Troops had received a report of cult-related clashes at Reshe in Ikorodu Central Area and on arrival, troops met a chaotic scene where 7 vehicles were vandalized, properties destroyed and some law-abiding citizens injured.

” On intervention by the troops, 7 suspected cultists most of whom were of the Eiye Confraternity were arrested. Items recovered from them include: 7 mobile phones, 3 ATM cards, 1 ID card, 8 belts, 1 wallet, 4 rings, 3 wrist watches, black substance suspected to be charms and the sum of N13,080.

” Additionally, during another Cordon and Search operation conducted at Odokekere general area of Ikorodu, 4 suspected cultists were arrested. The suspected cultists were among those who escaped from a raid carried out at Eginrin Depression area of Ikorodu during the initiation ceremony. Items recovered include 1 Itel Phone and a brown belt.”

The GOC stated that all arrested suspects are still undergoing preliminary investigations after which they would be handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation and prosecution.

Appreciating the corporation from members of the public,  Udoh also  urged them to always give timely information.

He pledged not to relent until the area is rid of all forms of cultism, vandalism and other violent criminal activities and their perpetrators.

He said,  ” I enjoin members of the public to continue to always reach out and call the numbers below to give useful information that will assist in ridding their areas of the activities of pipeline vandals, cultists, impostors and other criminal elements”

The numbers are:

07069353889—Ojo,
08060492529—Ojo,
07017064979—Badagry
08034347484—Victoria Island
08065992320—Ikeja
08069097624—Owode
08065806870—Ikorodu
07064281177—Obalende
08053862233—Abeokuta
08057705135—Abeokuta