Former Policeman Arrested in Ondo for Buying Phone Using Fake Bank Alert
A former police officer named Yusuf Anas, who had previously been dismissed from the police force, found himself in custody following his arrest by law enforcement officers from Nigeria Police Force, Zone 17, stationed in Akure, Ondo State. The charges against Anas include impersonation and theft.
Anas’ arrest was prompted by an incident where he acquired a mobile phone from a store and is alleged to have orchestrated a counterfeit bank transfer to the seller.
Before his dismissal, the suspect had served as a Constable in the Force since 2016, with postings in both Sokoto and Lagos states. He was subsequently declared a deserter.
The spokesperson for the NPF, Zone 17 Command, Akeem Adeoye, confirmed the arrest in an official statement. Adeoye pointed out that despite his dismissal from the police, the suspect had been falsely representing himself as an active-duty officer in uniform. The arrest came about in response to a petition made to the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police in the same zone.
“On the 8th of May 2023, the suspect, still posing as an officer and dressed in uniform, visited a phone shop to purchase a Techno-Spark10 handset valued at one hundred and two thousand naira (N102,000). After receiving the phone, he executed a fraudulent bank transfer to the seller. The incident was subsequently reported through a petition to the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 17, and the suspect was apprehended following effective intelligence gathering,” Adeoye explained.
During the interrogation process, the suspect purportedly confessed to his involvement in the crime, and the authorities have stated their intention to prosecute him accordingly.