Fake Soldier Remanded In Jail For Brutalizing Task Force Operatives After His Bike Was Seized

Kabiru Mohammed

A 25-year-old man identified as Kabiru Mohammed was sentenced by a Lagos State Mobile Court in Oshodi on Saturday, Feb 20 to six weeks imprisonment for impersonation and assault.

Mr Mohammed was arrested at the airport area of Lagos, riding a motorcycle painted with the colours of the Nigerian Army uniform and parading himself as a soldier.

Taofeek Adebayo, the spokesperson of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce), said in a statement that the suspect was arrested along with his commercial motorcycle painted in camouflage after assaulting members of the enforcement team of the agency with other miscreants at Airport Bus-stop along Lagos-Abeokuta Express-way.

The statement reads: "Operatives of the agency were coming from a monitoring and enforcement operation with over 150 impounded motorcycles loaded into three of the Agency’s trucks before the fake Soldier, whose commercial motorcycle was among those impounded on restricted routes, mobilised other miscreants and attacked the team with dangerous weapons such stones, bottles and iron-rod."

The Chairman of the task force, Shola Jejeloye, explained: "The fake soldier was arrested after the attack and during investigation at our office, it was discovered that he was an impersonator."

Mohammed was arraigned on three counts bordering on assault, conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace and impersonation. He pleaded guilty to the charges.

Following his plea, Magistrate Adelakun sentenced him to six weeks in jail with an option of a fine of N40,000.