Man impersonates ACP, frees criminals

The police in Lagos State have arrested a 50-year-old mechanic, Mr. Akin Omole, for parading himself as an Assistant Commissioner of Police and influencing the release of criminals. Besides, he was also accused of obtaining money under false pretence. The spokesperson for the Federal Anti-robbery Squad, ASP Lekan Ogundare, said Omole was a fraudster that specialised in getting criminals released under the guise of a senior police officer. He added that Omole had at different times paraded himself as a Chief Superintendent of Police and later claimed to be an Assistant Commissioner of Police attached to Force CID Annexe, Alagbon, Lagos. Ogundare said, “On March 11, 2011, at 1pm, we had a tip-off and he was arrested at Obalende. Police documents were recovered from him after he was searched. On the complimentary card found on him was written: Chief Superintendent (now ACP),” Ogundare said. When asked how he started the impersonation, Omole said he had policemen as friends and that he took his time to study them, adding that “It was one day that it occurred to me that I was capable of doing it.” He said he started parading himself as a policeman since 2008 after his friend helped him to design and print the fake police documents. Omole said, “Whenever any of my friends had problem with the police or was arrested, they would call me and I would call the DPO of that police station and vouch for the criminals. Most times, they would render help.” The suspect, a father of four and a landlord, however, said it was not through impersonation that he made his money. He said he had at different times swindled motor spare parts dealers. “When people give me money, I would tell them to come back later and then run away with their money. For instance, if I was given N50,000, I would supply N20,000 worth of goods and then disappear,” he added. When asked why he took to crime, he said, “I went into crime because someone duped me of all my money (N560, 000), and I have a 104-year-old mother.” PUNCH METRO gathered that the suspect’s friend, Bola Akinpelu, was wanted by the police for defrauding a woman of N5.7m. Following a tip-off, he was spotted in Omole’s car and the two of them were apprehended on March 11, 2011. Omole, who urged the police to be lenient with him, added, “my first born is 26-year-old. She’s in the university.” Police investigations revealed that the suspect has paraded himself as a policeman on many occasions and at different police stations such as, Alakuko Police Station, Sango, Area G Command and Federal SARS, Adeniji Adele. He confessed that whenever a member of a 419 syndicate was involved in a crime and was being detained at a police station, he would write a letter on the letter-head of the Nigeria Police to the DPO of the station and attach his complimentary card. By Eniola Akinkuotu Courtesy Of: Punch