Police Nab Fake Army Officer In Enugu

From Ignatius Okpara, Enugu – A 21 year old fake Army officer and his notorious gang ran out of luck on saturday as they were smashed by the Area police Command in Nsukka, Enugu state.

The gang, according to the security operatives, had been terrorising the university town and its environs for quite a long time.

They were said to have been making life unbearable, through intimidating, raping young girls, as well as other social crimes on Army uniform for the past three years at Amaja community in Igbo-Eze North Council area of Enugu state.

African Examiner crime reporter in Enugu, gathered that the police Area Command crack detectives, acting on a tip off, stormed the community where the fake army officer and ring leader of the gang, identified simply as Felix James was nabbed fully dressed on army uniform.

The suspect, had been walking freely in the community as a genuine military officer, but unknown to him that he was been trailed by the police detectives.

Our Correspondent further learnt that the fake officer, and one deadly member of the gang, identified as Reggan Igbonekwu, had held inhabitants of Amaja community spellbound in various crimes, especially robbery, rape, kidnap, pilfering and extortion since 2013 till the date.

The fake army officer, told newsmen that he tried several times to be enlisted into the Nigerian army without success, after which he procured Army uniform and camouflages through the help one of his friends as he had told many others of his friends and parents that he had been enlisted into the Nigerian army.

He added that his father spent a lot of money on him to join the army, but that the efforts failed, without him letting him know.

The suspect, admitted that he procured the army camouflages, for his nefarious criminal activities in the community.

Hear him: “my friend Reggan Igbonekwu whose father was a retired soldier advised and gave me the army uniform to wear to convince my parents that I have successfully joined the Nigerian army.

“I came back in November 2014 with the army uniform and since then till now I have never worn the uniform again.

“I paid Reggan a total sum of N80, 000 for the army uniforms he supplied to me’’ he disclosed.

According to him, he was a cosmetics seller in Kogi state before he muted the idea of joining the army which was unsuccessful.

He said he left secondary school in 2012 and tried the army recruitment for two consecutive times without success, “then my friend Reggan who resides at RCC quarters in Enugu sold the idea of the army uniform to me and we struck the deal.

” Everybody in the community knew that I went for the army recruitment but did not know that I was not successful” he stated.

“I am a married man with one issue and my wife Ujah Rita sees me as an army officer, although I told her that I was not recruited but she did not believe me because she sees the uniforms on my wardrobe.

” I was cooking food to eat when some men came asking of Felix Eze my father, then I suspected that I have been set up because of the uniform, and I ran away.

“My father spent about N400, 000 on me to join the army and my return on army uniform convinced him that I was successful and it was highly celebrated by my father who trusted me so much as the last born, and never suspected any foul play by me’’.

Items recovered from the fake military officer, includes two pairs of army camouflage, one long sleeve shirt, and two pairs of army polo (T-sheet), one round cap army camouflage and one face cap army uniform.

When Contacted for comment, a Senior police officer who craved anonymity confirmed the arrest of the fake army officer, and appealed to the general public to always give useful information to the police whenever they suspect any shoddy movement of any person or group of persons.