Detectives attached to the Zone 2 Police Command,
Onikan, Lagos State, have arrested three men for allegedly using naval uniforms
to rob unsuspecting Nigerians.
The suspects have been identified as Chukwueke
Kingsley, Chidi Ibrahim and Alaba Akande.
The suspects were arrested after Kingsley and
Ibrahim allegedly used two motorbikes to block a victim, Pascal Ume Okafor’s
car, along Ijora Bridge, Apapa, around 11pm and attempted to snatch it. The
victim was driving a Toyota Corolla, 2005, when the men blocked him.
Okafor said: “There were two of them. They were on
two motorbikes. They used their motorcycles to block my car on the bridge. I
asked why they blocked me; they said I hit a car. But it wasn’t true, I didn’t
hit any car. Kingsley was in naval uniform, while Ibrahim was in camouflage. One
of them touched me; it was like they used a charm on me. They asked for my
phones and car key, I handed over everything to them. They also collected my
N7, 000. They would have left with all
my property, but for the timely intervention of policemen.”
The Zone 2 Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO),
Dolapo Badmus, said: “There was a heavy traffic jam along the bridge where they
blocked and attempted to snatch the victim’s car. Kingsley wore a full naval
uniform. Our men were on routine patrol when they sighted the suspects robbing
the victim and rushed to the scene. They arrested Ibrahim, while Kingsley ran
to the naval base and returned with two naval men. He wanted to cause trouble,
but our men asked him to present his identity card. He said he has lost it.
When he eventually brought it out, it was a fake.”
According to Kingsley, he is a commercial motorcycle
rider and plies Mile 2 and CSM. He said that he bought the naval uniform at
Badagry and gave it to a tailor, Akande, to sew.
He denied attempting to rob Okafor. He explained
that he was trying to assist the victim, after the latter bashed a car. He said
that the owner of the bashed car, wanted to collect N3000 from Okafor, but his
intervention, using his naval uniform, saved the day. Kingsley added that he
asked Okafor to settle him, but the victim said he didn’t have enough money on
him.
Kingsley said: “He said he didn’t have money. He
asked me to search him. I made the mistake of searching him. When policemen
came to the scene, he started shouting robbers.”
Kingsley, who had original naval crest on his beret
said it was given to him by a deceased naval officer, named Marcus Mighty.
Ibrahim, who described himself as a former barber,
said that he became a commercial motorbike rider to augment his income.
He said he bought the camouflage Tee-shirt and short
in the market. He also said that his father is a retired soldier. Recalling the
incident that led to his arrest, Ibrahim said that he didn’t rob Okafor. He
explained that he was driving pass, when he noticed Kingsley and Okafor
arguing. He stopped briefly to ask what was going on and was arrested.
Akande also denied participating in the alleged
robbery. According to him, he only sewed the uniform for Kingsley and was paid
N500. Kingsley later brought another naval man called Williams, who brought
naval uniforms and gave him a badge to fix on one of the uniforms. He was also
paid N500 for that.
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