The Sokoto State Police Command has arrested a 27-year-old man, Abdulnasir Bello, for allegedly impersonating a Deputy Superintendent of Police and defrauding individuals.

During a press conference at the police headquarters in Sokoto on Thursday, Commissioner of Police Ali Kaigama revealed that Bello was apprehended following a series of complaints from his victims.

Kaigama stated that Bello deceived his victims by claiming he could help them get recruited into the Nigeria Police Force. He said that in 2018, Danjuma Garba from Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State and three others reported to the state CID in Sokoto that Bello, who posed as a police officer, collected N420,000 from them to secure their entry into the police force.

The Commissioner of Police revealed that Bello was arrested on May 21, 2024, at around 2:00 pm, during a sting operation at the Sokoto State Police Headquarters. During interrogation, Bello confessed to impersonating a police officer since 2016, claiming to be a DSP and performing illegal duties. He also admitted to collecting money from parents under the guise of recruiting their children into the police force.

A search of Bello’s residence yielded several exhibits, including a police training manual, NPF guarantor form, letter of introduction, letter of provisional offer for constable of police, and photographs of passport applications from 27 individuals. Other items seized included police face caps and camouflage caps, as well as a photocopy of a forged police identity card. The documents were designed and printed by one Abdulaziz Shuaib, a 29-year-old resident of Bado Area.

The Commissioner of Police stated that the suspect will be charged in court soon.