The Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos State has handed down a combined jail term of 46 years to two men, Ugwu Chijioke and Ibrahim Adekunle, for impersonating operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and executing a fake court order. The EFCC announced the sentence on its Facebook page, stating that the convicts were arrested in May 2021 at New Horizon Estate, Lekki, Lagos, while carrying out an illegal operation. Upon their arrest, fake EFCC identity cards, jackets, and a court order allegedly from Mushin Magistrate Court were recovered from them.
The Lagos Command of the EFCC arraigned the defendants before Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe on October 12, 2021, on charges including impersonation, attempted property fraud, possession of false documents, and unlawful wearing of the EFCC uniform. The suspects pleaded guilty to the charges, and the prosecution counsel, Abdulhamid Tukur, presented a review of the case facts and requested a guilty verdict and corresponding sentences.
Justice Abike-Fadipe found Chijioke and Adekunle guilty on all counts and sentenced them to seven years each on counts one to three, one year on count four, and eight months on count five. The sentences are to run concurrently.
This is not an isolated incident. In May, the Nasarawa State Police Command arrested three fake officials of the EFCC who had robbed and abducted people in the area. It is important to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities to prevent such impersonation and fraud cases.
Impersonating law enforcement agencies is a serious offense that undermines the integrity of the system and can cause harm to innocent individuals. The EFCC and other law enforcement agencies should continue their efforts to combat impersonation and fraud, ensuring that those responsible face the full consequences of their actions.