I WORE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE UNIFORM TO FOOL NIGERIANS

 Afoke Adetolani, 58, a dismissed police inspector, was arrested on November, 25, 2015 for allegedly posed as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in order to fool Nigerians.

The suspect was arrested by the X-Squad team, which was on patrol along Oshodi. The supposed ‘DSP’ was driving a Volkswagen commercial bus, marked KSF-662-XC on the day he was arrested. The bus was filled with building and electrical materials. He claimed the items belonged to his sister.

Adetolani was once an Inspector in the Nigeria Police Force, traffic section, but later got dismissed.

He said: “I started using the uniform this year. I used it to protect myself against officials of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA). They used to threaten bus drivers with arrest. To avoid been arrested by them, I decided to dress as a policeman to facilitate the movement of goods. I didn’t have the uniform of a policeman, but one of my friends, a policeman decided to help me. I told the policeman, who is now dead, to help me get the uniform, putting my name on it. He collected N15, 000 from me.  After that, I began to use it. I would put it on whenever I wanted to drive.  But on the day I was arrested, I didn’t wear it. I was driving the commercial bus to Oshodi. I wanted to go and deliver some electrical and building materials to my sister’s customers.”

He recollected that policemen, who were on patrol, flagged him down. They searched the bus and found the uniform hanging inside.

“I was immediately arrested even though I wasn’t wearing the uniform. I had my Identity card with me. The card was given to me by the same police friend that gave me the uniform. I flashed the ID card at them, but they still arrested me.”

Revealing how he was dismissed from police, Adetolani said: “I was once an Inspector of Police in the year 1984. I was dismissed after a small boy lied against me about a missing vehicle. I now drive a commercial bus to make ends meet. I wear the DSP uniform just to protect myself from LASTMA harassment.”