Matilda Omonaiye/
Officers attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Lagos have arrested a fake soldier and a suspected armed robber.
According to a statement from RRS, the fake soldier was arrested along Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way near Muritala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja and the robber was caught robbing commuters at Oshodi.
The fake soldier, Yusuf Quadri, 22, from Ogun State, was arrested during a cautious stop and search by RRS officers. The suspect was riding a commercial tricycle along Airport Road, which has been restricted by Lagos State Government.
Quadri, when stopped by the police, told the officers he was a military officer. A little probe by the officer revealed he was impersonating.
Quadri, a primary school certificate holder disclosed during interrogation that he stole one of the military uniforms of a newly promoted officer, who he was assisting to get his luggage ready.
He added that he thereafter used the uniform to take a photograph, which he subsequently converted to an identity card.
The suspect in his confessional statement told the police that he made use of his military photograph and outfit to by-pass security operatives, Local Government and LASTMA officials that might attempt to arrest him whenever he was on the wrong side of the law.
The stolen military uniform was recovered from the suspect’s home.
The robbery suspect, Emeka Ohiaeri, from Imo State had around 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday night pulled off a mobile phone from the hands of a youth corps member inside Oshodi traffic.
Unknown to Ohiaeri, RRS operatives spotted him and trailed him to where he was standing with his colleagues before arresting him. The phone was recovered from him and handed over to its owner at the RRS Headquarter, Ikeja, the following day.
The suspect confessed to the police that since arriving Oshodi a few years ago, he had been surviving through stolen phones, purses and handbags.
He added that he had lost count of the numbers of phones he had collected in traffic.
He added that he had a regular buyer for such phones.
Meanwhile, the Lagos Commissioner of Police (CP) Muazu Zubairu, has directed that the two suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department, as he directed RRS to reinforce its presence in Oshodi to curb traffic robbery.