The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Anambra State Command, has arrested a suspect impersonating a civil defence officer and using the uniform to harass, extort and commit fraudulent activities on unsuspecting citizens of the state.
The suspect was paraded at the NSCDC command headquarters in Awka, on Wednesday by the state commandant, Olatunde Maku.
Maku cautioned members of the public to be vigilant and exercise discernment when approached by anyone claiming to be a civil defence officer.
Giving an account of how the suspect was arrested, Maku said on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at about 1300hrs, operatives of the command on routine patrol responded to intelligence regarding the suspect’s suspicious activities around Aroma in Awka.
He said, “Acting on this information, the team swung into action and apprehended the suspect; Emmanuel Oche, male, aged 55 from Agila Town in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State dressed in an NSCDC uniform.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that Oche, the impersonator, used his fake civil defence officer status to intimidate and exploit innocent victims.
“Shockingly, Oche confessed to buying the NSCDC uniform from a second-hand cloth seller in Ogbunike, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, revealing the extent of his deceitful tactics.”
Consequently, the State Commandant has ordered the investigation and intelligence department to conduct a discreet investigation to unravel the source of the uniform in addition to the motive behind the suspect’s impersonation of a Civil Defence officer.
Maku further noted that the suspect will be charged in court upon the conclusion of an investigation.
