Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 42-year-old man accused of impersonating a soldier to abduct and rob unsuspecting victims.
The suspect, identified as a dismissed army sergeant and ex-convict, was taken into custody on Saturday under the Ikeja Underbridge.
The RRS shared details of the arrest on its official X handle, @rrsLagos767, on Wednesday. The post revealed that the suspect was identified and apprehended after being spotted by one of his victims near Computer Village in Ikeja.
Preliminary investigations by the police indicate that the suspect targeted his victim on December 30, 2024. It was alleged that he accused the man of bumping into him and causing him to lose a gold ring.
Claiming to be an army officer, the suspect reportedly presented a fake military ID card and demanded the victim replace the supposedly lost ring.
The report further states that the suspect threatened to take the victim to an army barracks in Oshodi if he failed to comply. Under this pretense, the suspect allegedly summoned an accomplice who arrived on a motorcycle. Together, they forced the victim onto the bike, pretending to transport him to the barracks.
Instead, the victim was taken to the Third Mainland Bridge, where the suspects robbed him of his iPhone 13 and an undisclosed amount of money before abandoning him. Police investigations revealed that the stolen phone was later sold for N150,000 in Computer Village, Ikeja.
The RRS also noted that the suspect had a history of similar offenses, including a 2024 arrest in Ikeja, which led to imprisonment. During the recent arrest, officers recovered a Nigerian Army cap and a fake military identity card from him.
The suspect has since been transferred to the Commissioner of Police’s Special Squad for further investigation.
