Fake policeman arrested for robbing four cyclists

Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command, have arrested a fake policeman for robbing four victims of their motorbikes.

The suspect, Umam Hrmid, 48, said to be a legionnaire was arrested after he attempted to rob one Amin Al–Hassan of his motorcycle at Agege, Lagos State.

After Hrmid was arrested, three other motorbike riders came to RRS office to identify him as the ‘policeman,’ who impounded and disappeared with their motorbikes.

The police said that Hrmid used to pose as a policeman, attached to the Lagos State Taskforce on Special Offences, in order to rob motorcycle riders.

Hrmid, of Nigerian Legion, Lagos State Command, was arrested on Friday at about 10:30 p.m. by RRS operatives, in Agege, after dispossessing Al–Hassan of his motorcycle.

Investigators have discovered that the suspect works with an accomplice, identified as Tijani Bashir. Bashir is however now at large.

The police said: “The suspect accosted his victim, Al–Hassan, at Total Filling Station, Agege and told him that he was a policeman attached to the Lagos State Taskforce on Special Offences. He told his victim that he was impounding his motor cycle for plying restricted area and for operating at prohibited hour.  Al–Hassan began to plead for negotiation. Hrmid told him to bring N20, 000:00, but the victim could only produce N5, 000:00, which the suspect rejected.”

Recounting his experience with the fake policeman, Al–Hassan said: “When he refused to accept the N5, 000:00, he mounted the bike and rode it towards Iyana Ipaja. I begged him but he told me to get down from the bike. Before he rode off, I had already sat behind him, while his partner rode the bike. He rode through Agbotikuyo, Agege.  At Mulero, I forced the bike to a stop by removing the key from the ignition. While we were arguing, two passers-by joined us. They requested for his identity card when he told them that he was a policeman with the Lagos State Taskforce.”

The suspect attempted to flash the ID card, but one of the passers-by grabbed it and started running. Hrmid pulled out a dagger and chased him.

The passer-by ran towards RRS operatives, who were on patrol. The ID card was discovered to be fake.

At the RRS's Headquarters, three other victims, whom Hrmid had collected motorbikes before he was caught, came with particulars of their bikes, alleging that Hrmid, along with his accomplice, took their motorbikes.
The three victims, Shuaib Abdullahi, Umaru Hassan and Salisu Umaru, said Hrmid collected their motorbikes in a spate of three weeks.
One of the victims, Shuaib Abdullahi explained that the suspect at about 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday last week, took his motorbike, FKJ 259 QA, Boxer model, from him, under the pretext that he was taking him to Taskforce Office.
Abdullahi said: "He rode with me to Ile–Zik before threatening me to get down or he would kill him at the deserted place. I requested for his phone number. He gave me a fake number. I called the number immediately he left, but the number didn't go.”
The suspect, however, failed to deny the allegations of the three other victims when they confronted him.