The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) Kogi State Command has paraded one Bartholomew Paul for allegedly posing as an army officer in Kogi State.
The suspect was paraded along with seven others for their alleged involvement in pipeline vandalism, vandalism of telecommunication cables, illegal dealings on transformer cables and illegal possession and dealings of fire arms and ammunitions.
Parading the suspects at the command headquarter in Lokoja on Monday, the Kogi State Commandant Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) Everestus Obiyo said the alleged impersonator was arrested at the Nigeria Army Check-Point at Ayere in the Western part of the State.
Bartholomew Paul according to the commandant has been smuggling cars from Seme Border using the military uniform.
In his statement, Bartholomew Paul told newsmen how he was caught by security agencies in Kogi State.
“I am a driver who usually buys cars for people. At the military checking point, the Soldiers stopped me, because the car that I drove was tinted. They asked me who the owner of the vehicle is, quickly I responded that I am not the owner but it belongs to my brother.
“Then, they insisted that they are going to search the vehicle. When they searched the vehicle; they discovered where I kept the military uniform inside the boot with my fake military identity card.
“My friend advised me to do the fake military identity card to prevent security men from stopping me when I leave this place to smuggle fairly used car (Tokunbo) into the country. I used to smuggle car from Kotonou,” he said.
The suspect alleged that one Sergeant Sanni Bello attached to 323 artillery brigade Akure Ondo State helped him in making the fake Identity Card.
“Sergeant Bello said I should be keeping the Identity Card and the military uniform inside the vehicle so that wherever I reach, there is no problem for security officers to stop me on the road,” the suspected added.
Items recovered from Paul are Black Lexus jeep, full military uniform, two number of military uniform passport, dependent military identity car; and two number identity cards bearing different name.
Other suspects parade by the command for pipeline vandalism and illegal possession of fire arms and ammunitions are Mohammed Adamu, Abubakar Abdulkareem, Hafiz Musa, Faruk Ibrahim, Oseni Yau, Adamu Asuba, and Gideon Isaac.
All the suspects according to the commandant will be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.
