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The police in Anambra State have arrested two suspected armed robbers with one of them impersonating a policeman. However, one of the suspects, said he was a former police officer and was dismissed from the force for shooting a son of the former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili.

The suspect, Hassan Abubakar, decked in police carmouflage, during his parade alongside other suspects. The police in Anambra State have arrested two suspected armed robbers with one of them impersonating a policeman.


However, one of the suspects, said he was a former police officer and was dismissed from the force for shooting a son of the former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili.

Parading the suspects, yesterday, the Commissioner of Police, John Abang, said on August 8, following intelligence report, police operatives attached to the command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) arrested Hassan Abuka in Ihiala, dressed in police camouflage uniform bearing a DSP rank, along with one Ismaila Ahmed, both of them from Benue State.

He said the suspects specialized in impersonating police operatives to deceive their victims.

Abang said the suspects snatched a Toyota Corolla Car from a yet to be identified victim in Lagos and were located at their hideout in Anambra State.

“Exhibits recovered in their possession include the snatched vehicle and additional vehicle plate number from Lagos FKJ 701 FR,” he said.

However, the suspected police impersonator, Hassan Abubakar, said he was not an armed robber but a police impersonator, and that he was dismissed from the force. Abubakar, 34, told our correspondent that after he was dismissed by the police as an inspector, he continued wearing police uniform to escort vehicles.

Abubakar, 34, said, “I was dismissed from the police as an Inspector for misfiring. I was on a special duty from R15, 42 Squadron Zamfara State to Lagos along Lekki peninsula, near Moroko police division.

“There was information that armed robbers were coming towards our direction and we stopped the vehicle but they refused and approached on high speed. They shot one of my inspectors and I returned fire, the vehicle sumersaulted three times.

“The police recovered three pistols in the vehicle. Finally, it was discovered that one of occupants was the son of the former  governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili,” he claimed.

“When the police dismissed me, I waited to be reinstated and since I have nothing to do and I have five children I continued to wear the police uniform to escort motorists. Whenever I see escort I will follow them to get money to feed them.

“Last week Thursday, one Godwin Abba sold a Toyota Corolla car to me and I transferred N800,000 to his account without knowing that the car he sold to me was stolen and has a tracker.

“Since I cannot drive, I engaged a driver. I wore police uniform so that the Custom will not disturb  us since there was no duty paid on the car. I used the uniform to influence security operatives to pass us. “Along the line, I was arrested along Ihiala road. I know who sold the car to me and I can identify him. I am not an armed robber.

“Unknown to me, the police had posted our pictures on the Internet. Somebody (my neighbour in Orlu, Imo State) came from Awka and said we robbed him and collected his Corolla car,” he added.

The victim, one Nonso Chinecherem, said on July 12, he was robbed along Roban Store, Awka.

“They robbed me between 9 to 9:15pm. The two young men came to me  and started asking for my car key and I protested and before I knew it they started shooting guns into air and drove away with my car.

“Last week Thursday, I was going through social media and I saw that police have arrested them and  I called the  Police Public Relations Officer, he asked me to check at SARS and when I got there I was able to identify them because when they robbed me the street light was on and I saw them clearly,” he stated.

Nonso however denied knowing the suspect, saying that he is from Anambra and had never lived in Orlu.

 Daily Trust