A 27-year-old man posing as a soldier has been arrested in Lagos for allegedly defrauding residents and traders of cash and goods while impersonating a member of the Nigerian Air Force.
The suspect, Kolawole Yusuf, was handed over to the police by the Provost Unit of the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre in Oshodi on Monday, where several victims reportedly identified him.
He had earlier been arrested on February 18 by officers from Ladipo Police Station, who rescued him from an angry mob at Bakassi Line after he was caught allegedly attempting another scam.
At the time of his arrest, Yusuf was dressed in full Nigerian Air Force special forces uniform and claimed he was an airman attached to the O55 NAF Base in Victoria Island. This prompted the police to contact military authorities for verification and disciplinary action.
However, investigations by military police later revealed he was an impostor who had been using the uniform and related accessories to intimidate civilians and commit fraud.
Public Relations Officer of the centre, Commander Patricia Ochei, told reporters that complaints from traders in Ladipo triggered the investigation.
She said the suspect was known for obtaining money and goods using fake bank alerts and for harassing traders while posing as a security operative.
Preliminary findings indicated he had allegedly defrauded victims across several busy Lagos commercial hubs, including Arena Market, Ladipo, Mushin, Aswani and Alaba International Market.
Among reported cases, Yusuf allegedly collected:
• A television set valued at over N300,000 from a dealer
• Shock absorbers worth about N145,000 from another trader
• Cash from multiple Point-of-Sale operators using fake transfer alerts
Ochei added that he had already been on the watch list of both the police and the Air Force over similar fraud allegations before his latest arrest.
Military sources suggested the suspect may be part of a wider syndicate that impersonates members of the armed forces to carry out criminal activities, noting that some accomplices had also been apprehended.
Victims present at the centre said he often blamed network issues when payments failed to reflect and sometimes left his phone number, promising the money would appear later only to stop responding to calls and messages.
Yusuf admitted during questioning that he was not a military personnel. He claimed he purchased the uniform for N30,000 from a man identified as “Sergeant Samuel” at Iyana-Ipaja.
According to him, he was first recruited to wear the uniform for guard duties at a party and later continued using it to avoid harassment while operating his commercial motorcycle.
He insisted that network failures were responsible for victims not receiving payments and claimed he had begun refunding some of them a claim witnesses at the centre disputed.
Authorities have urged anyone who may have been defrauded by the suspect to report to the nearest police station, noting that he will be returned to the police for further investigation and prosecution.
