Police arrested four fake soldiers in the Iju area of Lagos State on Sunday.
Gbenga Stephen, the Divisional Police Officer of the Iju police division, led the team that carried out the arrest around 1:30 a.m.
Benjamin Hundeyin, Lagos Police Command Spokesperson who announced the arrest on Twitter, said the fake soldiers are Samuel Abel, Victor ljeemai, Lukman Salabiu and Oyinyechi Macus.
They were arrested with a Mazda saloon car and have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, for further investigation.
Lagos State Police Command uncovered an illegal military camp code-named “Nigeria Merchant Navy” at the Ogudu area of the state on Nov. 10, 2021, with over 107 fake personnel.
They recovered several military accoutrements, including camouflage badges of ranks, signboards, and identity cards. Other items recovered were recruitment and promotion letters and the portrait of a fake commanding officer.
A similar camp was uncovered in Benue State, North-central region, on Sept. 26, 2017. The fake camp had a signpost with the inscription “Coastal Defence Force 4th Arms. Signal Ship Base. Okpokwu, Benue State Command.”
The fake soldiers who were reportedly caught with full military fatigues and weapons like cutlasses and what appeared to be locally-made rifles were operating criminal enterprises where they trained high-profile criminals.
This trend portends danger for a country battling with insecurity and also threatens the peace of residents living around the illegal military camps as their fundamental human rights are mostly trampled on.
