Two suspects, Ogunbiyi Damilola and Ojelabi Sunkanmi have been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly parading themselves as Nigerian soldiers and harassing members of Araromi community in Ifo Local Government area of the state.
The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Mr Ikemefuna Okoye told Crime Reports that an anti-robbery team attached to Ifo Division, on Thursday November 20, 2014, acted on a tip-off that the suspects who were always in Nigerian Army uniform, used to foment trouble and were always in possession of Nigerian Army kits and offensive weapons. “The police raided the hideout of the suspects where one Ojelabi Sunkanmi (22) and Ogunbiyi Damilola (25) were arrested with six sets of military uniforms, military belts, camouflage face caps, black face mask, jack knife, a bag full of documents, military shoes, international passports and assorted charms,” Okoye said.
Speaking with Crime Reports in response to the allegation against him, Damilola denied using the army items for robbery. “I am from Akure in Ondo state but live at Ifo, Ogun State. I worked as a security man but left when I was not being paid regularly. I started working as a bus conductor. I learnt that one guy said I was threatening him. What happened was that the guy was maltreating his girlfriend so her mother wanted someone to help her warn him off her daughter.
“My girlfriend who is a friend of the girl being beaten told me and I went looking for the boy to tell him to stop what he was doing to the girl. That was about a month ago. I was surprised when he brought some soldiers to my residence on Thursday, November 20, 2014. I was taken to the police station and when the police came to my room for a search, they found army uniforms,” he stated.
Explaining how he got the uniforms, Damilola said he bought them from the market as fairly-used clothes and they were intended for his younger brother who was a soldier but was away on foreign mission. He also denied using the uniform to rob, saying “I have never robbed or handled gun in my life.”
The second suspect, Sunkanmi from Ota, Ogun State also denied using army uniform to rob. The 22-year-old, who said he was working as a security man, disclosed that he did not follow his friend to harass anyone at home, saying that the army clothes found with them were meant for his friend’s brother and were bought as used clothes.
The Commissioner of Police expressed worry about the rate at which criminals were impersonating uniformed officers in Nigeria, promising to work with other security agencies, particularly in Ogun State, to eradicate this criminal act.
He further stated that the case would be investigated to uncover the sources of the military items and anyone found wanting would be brought to book and made to face the full wrath of the law.
The Commissioner of Police also charged the general public to note any unnecessary exercise or display of power by any self-acclaimed uniformed personnel around them and report them to the police promptly.
