Police Arrest Impersonator of FCT Minister

Police Arrest Impersonator of FCT Minister

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Police Command of the FCT has arrested an impersonator of the FCT Minister Malam Muhammed Musa Bello.

The FCT Command Commissioner for Police, Bala Ciroma, yesterday said the suspect, one Mohammed Bello Kolo who is 27 years, will be arraigned before the court for the crime upon conclusion of investigation to serve as a deterrent to others.

Ciroma, while briefing journalists said the suspect had been parading himself as the “Honourable Minister’ of FCT” and defrauding unsuspecting members of the public.

The police commissioner said that the impersonator had so far defrauded his victims to the tune over N52 million, which he received on installment on the guise of awarding his victims contract.

He said the Police operatives attached to the State Intelligence Bureau of the FCT Command, nabbed the suspect on October, 28, 2019, after receiving series of complaints about his activities.

The suspect, who confessed to the crime, said he got access to classified information when he posted to the FCT Administration during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) service years.

Police said among the exhibits recovered from him, were a 206 Peugeot with Registration Number ABJ 856 SU; a Tricycle with Registration Number KEF 807 WT; a 55” and 46 inches Samsung Plasma TV; one dining set; 10,000 watts Fireman Generator set; a washing machine Hisense Deep Freezer, which the suspect claimed to have purchased from the money he received.

Ciroma also said efforts were ongoing to arrest his cohorts, one Simon and one Idris, who were parading themselves as the Director of Procurement FCTA and PA to the Hon. Minister respectively.

While speaking to reporters, the suspect apologised for the act, saying he was only a middleman in the scam.

He denied the police allegation that he got N52 million from the deal, saying what he received amounted to only N10million.

Meanwhile the Senior Adviser to the Minister, Abubakar Sani has admonished Nigerians and FCT residents to be wary of people impersonating the FCT minister on the social media.

Sani said the FCT minister conducts all FCT transaction via official channels and not through the social media.

“The office of the FCT Minister, Mallam Musa Bello is open, you can come to my office and I will tell you whether that contract is genuine or not. So we are calling on all Nigerians to beware of fraudsters like this so that they will not fall victims,” Sani said.

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