Army parades fake general, orderly

The Nigerian Army paraded two fake soldiers who were arrested for impersonation as brigadier- general and orderly, respectively.

The suspects identified as Aliyu Haussaini Bre and Ibrahim Mohammed were paraded at the Headquarters of the 3rd Division, Nigerian Army, Maxwell Khobe Cantonment in Plateau State by the Division’s Public Relations Officer and the Commander, Provost Group, Col. Texas Chukwu and Col. Arnold Okoro, respectively, on behalf of the General Officer Commanding, Major-General John Zaruma.

According to Chukwu, the suspects were arrested on September 17 in Bauchi State, after a tip-off. He added that while Aliyu, a 46-year-old Fulani man from Adamawa State impersonated as an Officer of the rank of Brigadier-General, Ibrahim, 40, and Kanuri by tribe served as his assistant. Chukwu said that a search conducted at Aliyu’s house in Kaduna led to the recovery of Nigerian Army uniforms with assorted ranks, as well as a Peugeot 406 saloon car.

He disclosed that the suspects confessed that the reason for impersonating military officers was to give them easy access to the corridors of power, and to help them secure contracts.

Chukwu further disclosed that, upon interrogation, the suspects, who had been in the business since 2006, listed the contracts they had executed through impersonation, including construction and renovation of Adamawa State University’s clinic in 2010 at a cost of N2.45m; rehabilation and overhaul of 250KVA MARAPO generator, and two units of 160 KVA Cumings generator for the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, in Abuja in 2011 at the cost of N2.2m, as well as supply of Mili beverage for the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA, also in Abuja, in 2012, at the cost of N1.8m. Col. Okoro, who corroborated Chukwu’s account, warned the general public to be vigilant, adding that the suspects would be handed over to the police for prosecution.

×