The Nigerian Navy School of Health Sciences, Offa, has paraded a suspected fake military officer, Salami Olalekan Wuraola and his accomplice, said to be a serving soldier.
The commandant of the school, Navy Captain Ibrahim Doko Nurudeen, while parading the suspect before journalists within the school premises, said the suspect and his accomplice had been handed over to the army authorities, in Ilorin, the state capital.
He said the suspect and his accomplice, whose identity was not revealed, were arrested at the Offa branch of Union Bank following information from members of the public.
“We got the suspects arrested after a long trail. They went about as newly recruited soldiers seeking financial assistance from well-to-do members of the public.
“A wealthy man gave them N20,000 and it was at the point of collecting the money at the bank that they were arrested,” the Commandant said.
The suspect, while responding to questions from journalists, said the military uniform belonged to his late brother who was a soldier.
“I am from Ondo State and a school leaver; this is the first time of my involvement in criminal activity. I am not a soldier. I have not put on the uniform before; this is the first time. I did not know the influential person who gave the N20,000. It was the soldiers that I met that knew the man. I only went along with them and sat down somewhere. The soldiers were the ones that went to meet the man.
“It’s a big mistake. It was the soldier that took the money. I regret my action. If I escape from this, I will not go back to it again,” he said.
In his own comment, the representative of Offa community, Mr Jare Olatundun, attributed the arrest of the suspects to the existing synergy between the community and the Navy on security.
“We owe the peace being enjoyed by this town to God and Navy. They have been very helpful in ensuring security in Offa,” he said.