The Imo State Government has arrested a man for allegedly impersonating officials from various government agencies and illegally collecting revenue across the state.
The suspect, whose name has not been disclosed, is from Ebonyi State. He was caught by the Compliance and Monitoring Team set up by the state government to check illegal activities. The arrest took place in Owerri, the state capital.
In a statement, Nze Chinasa Nwaneri, Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma on Monitoring and Compliance, confirmed the arrest.
He explained that the suspect was “caught red-handed while fraudulently enforcing revenue collection and issuing fake tickets within the Owerri municipality.”
According to Nwaneri, the man had been operating in several busy areas including Imo State University junction, Orji flyover, Amakohia flyover, and Akwakuma.
Nwaneri noted that the suspect falsely claimed to be working for several government bodies such as the Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA), the Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRACO), and the Imo State Waste Management Agency.
These fake identities were used to carry out illegal revenue collection from the public.
Further information revealed that the suspect was involved in unauthorized painting of commercial buses, commonly called Bus Imo, using unapproved colors and signs. This was done as part of a scheme to extort money from drivers and traders.
Nwaneri stated, “This arrest is part of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s zero-tolerance policy for fraud and criminality in the state. We are determined to sanitize the system and ensure that only authorized agents carry out government responsibilities.”
He also warned the public to be careful and always confirm the identity of anyone claiming to represent government agencies before making any payments. He encouraged residents and business owners to report suspicious individuals to the proper authorities.
