A fake soldier identified as Madukwe Obinna has been arrested alongside an accomplice, Ifeanyi Agbaraenyi for vandalizing electrical cables in Nsukka, Enugu State.
The resident of Ogbor Hill in Aba who was impersonating a serving soldier was nabbed in Nsukka, Enugu by soldiers deployed for Exercise Atilogwu Udo 1 flagged off on November 1 2019 at Nsulu, Abia State.
Parading the suspects on Thursday November 28, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the 82 Division Nigerian Army Enugu, Major General Lasisi Adegboye said items recovered from the suspect include Nigerian Army Identity Card, a desert camouflage T-shirt, two camouflage T-shirts, a pair of camouflage shorts, one mobile phone and the sum of N40,000.
The fake soldier who was arrested after villagers alerted troops of sector 5 on patrol at Opi near Nsukka about some criminals stealing cables in the town, was also found to be in possession of fake N1000 notes, one Japanese Yen, a toy pistol, fake Nigerian police identity card, 26 Nigerian Army vehicle stickers, 23 Army emblems, one pair of desert boots, two engineer cap badges, a name tag bearing Madukwe O.I. and a jackknife.
“A pursuit by our troops led to the arrest of one of the criminals Ifeanyi Agbaraenyi, while the other two fled on sighting our troops,” the GOC disclosed.
“However, his attempt to bribe the soldiers with the sum of N700, 000 was stiffly resisted by the soldiers,” Adegboye posited.
The suspects have been handed over to the Nigerian police for prosecution.