Ex-corper poses as FCT minister, defrauds victims of N52m

The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) says it has arrested a 27-year-old former serving member of the National Youth Service Corps, Mohammed Bello Kolo, for impersonating the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammed Bello.

The Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the command, Mr Bala Ciroma, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said the suspect was arrested by personnel attached to the State Intelligence Bureau of the command following a complaint received on October 28.

Ciroma said the suspect had been parading himself as the FCT Minister and defrauding unsuspecting members of the public.

He said the ex-corps member had so far defrauded his victims “of N52m, which he allegedly received in instalments under the pretext of awarding them contracts.”

The CP said, “Following a complaint received on October 28, police operatives attached to the SIB arrested Mohammed Bello Kolo, who had been parading himself as the Minister of the FCT and defrauding unsuspecting members of the public.

“Exhibits recovered from him include one Peugeot 206 with number plate ABJ 856 SU; one tricycle with number plate KEF 807 WT; one Samsung plasma television; one dining set; a Fireman generator; one washing machine and a Hisense deep freezer.

“The suspect claimed to have purchased these with the money he received from his victims. Efforts are on to arrest his cohorts, one Simon and one Idris, who posed as his Director of Procurement and Personal Assistant, respectively. The suspect will be arraigned upon the conclusion of investigation.

“This will serve as a deterrent to others.”

The police said the suspect had confessed that he had access to some classified information, while he was serving at the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

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