Army parades fake soldier, cable vandal in Enugu

The Nigerian Army, on Thursday, paraded a 35-year-old man, Madukwe Obinna, for wearing army camouflage and parading himself as a soldier.

Parading the suspect, the General Officer Commanding, 82 Division, Enugu, Maj. Gen. Lasisi Adegboye, said the native of Akoli Imenyi, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, was arrested on Tuesday by troops of the Sector 5 under Arilogwu Udo 1, who were on a routine patrol.

Adegboye alleged that the suspect was parading himself as a soldier until the law caught up with him on his way to Aba, Abia State from Abuja, where he probably was planning to go and carry out a robbery attack.

Also paraded was one Ifeanyi Agbaraenyi, also known as Ifeanyi Ogbonna and Ifeanyi Agalamahi, who claimed to be a native of the Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, for cable vandalism.

According to the GOC, the fake soldier was in a vehicle conveying garden eggs from Abuja to Abia State when he was apprehended.

“The driver gave him a lift on the premise that he was a soldier in transit,” he stated.

He said the suspect, a holder of a diploma in Computer Engineering from the Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies, Makurdi, Benue State, specialised in producing army stickers and badges.

Adegboye stated, “On interrogation, it was revealed that he was on his way to Aba for the purpose of committing armed robbery.

“Items recovered from him include a Nigerian Army identity card, one pair of desert camouflage T-shirt; two camouflage T-shirts, one 3/4 camouflage short; one mobile phone and the sum of N40,000.

“Also found in his possession were a fake N1,000 note; Japanese yen, a toy pistol, fake police identity card, 26 Nigerian Army stickers, 23 Nigerian Army emblems, one pair of desert boots, two engineer cap badges, a name tag bearing Madukwe O. I. and a jack knife.”

The suspect confessed to journalists that he was not a trained soldier, but decided to pose as a soldier because of the prestige and respect that soldiers earn.

“I use the army uniform because of the respect and the prestige. I have been in the business for the past one year,” Obinna stated.

Asked how he came about the gun and dagger recovered from him, he could not explain but said it was his brother who gave him money to go and recover his vehicle from the East.

On his part, Agbaraenyi was arrested by soldiers on Wednesday, November 27, 2019, at Opi in the Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Troops of the Sector 5 Patrol, acting on a tip-off by the natives that three criminals were stealing cables in their vicinity, pursued the suspects and caught Agbaraenyi, while other members of the gang escaped.

The suspect, according to the GOC, tried to bribe the soldiers with N700,000, but the attempt was turned down.

Adegboye said the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army was determined to protect lives and property.