The Zone 2 Police Command in Lagos has detained a man posing as a senior police officer after he attempted to secure bail for two suspected international fraudsters in custody.
Assistant Inspector-General of Police Adegoke Fayoade confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday.
The detained fraud suspects were earlier found with forged university certificates from Ghana and are accused of being involved in large-scale internet scams targeting foreign countries. They also allegedly offered a bribe of N66 million to police operatives, which was rejected.
The impostor, who claimed to be a Deputy Superintendent of Police from Edo State, reportedly walked into the zonal anti-corruption unit with a lawyer to request bail for the two suspects.
AIG Fayoade explained, “The suspect introduced himself as a DSP and promised to produce the fraud suspects whenever needed. However, when asked for identification, he presented a police warrant card.”
On closer inspection, officers noticed irregularities with the card. “The card displayed the rank of an Assistant Superintendent of Police with the name Sunday Udoka. His photograph showed him with a beard, which raised suspicions,” Fayoade added.
The back of the card, which should bear the Inspector-General of Police’s signature, had an unclear signature labeled “DCD” and was dated May 13, 2024.
Under interrogation, the suspect admitted that the warrant card was fake. “He confessed to creating the card himself, attaching his photograph, and forging the signature,” the AIG said.
Further investigation revealed that the man is actually a police inspector with the Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Edo Command. He reportedly joined the force in 2014 as an ICT specialist with a diploma in Computer Science and later went through a conversion program in Jos.
The suspect said he forged the card to help his friends—the detained fraudsters—secure bail.
The fake officer is now in custody, and detectives are investigating his claims and his relationship with the fraud suspects.
AIG Fayoade assured the public that the suspect would face charges in court. “We are committed to ensuring justice is served and maintaining the integrity of the police force,” he stated.
