The 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure, on Thursday, paraded two fake policemen, Nze Ezenwa and Stephen Sunday, and for being in possession of 132 bags of cannabis valued at N5.8 million.
Parading the suspects, the brigade’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Captain Ayorinde Omojokun, said the two middle-aged suspects were arrested while in transit from Owo to Abuja on Aug. 2.
The army spokesman explained that the suspects were impersonating officers of the Nigerian Police when they were intercepted around 8pm at Isua Military Checkpoint in possession of 50 bags of substance suspected to be cannabis.
According to Omojokun, both suspects who were masked and dressed in Nigeria Police pullover, were in a white Toyota Sienna minibus with registration RBC 334 BG loaded with cannabis as at time of arrest.
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“They replaced the original vehicle number plate with a fake Nigeria Police number NPF 165 1D and mounted a siren in order to divert attention of security agencies.
“Four mobile phones, two wallets and N148,300 were recovered from them,” the PRO said.
He also disclosed that the army intercepted two vehicles with 82 bags of cannabis headed towards Lagos on July 19 at about 4: 00 am at Omotosho Military Checkpoint on Benin-Ore Express Road.
He explained that the two cars, an ash-coloured Toyota Sequoia, vehicle with registration APP 918 FA, and a green Toyota Sequoia, with registeration FST 169 BW, were abandoned by the drug peddlers who absconded into the bush.
The suspects and the seized items were received by Mr Kalis Alumina, Ondo State Acting State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), at the Brigade base.
Alumina, who was represented by Mr Adamu Ibrahim, state Deputy Commander, Narcotics, NDLEA, commended the Nigerian Army for the strong synergy between the two security agencies.
While saying that further investigations into the case would begin immediately, he prayed for a continued collaboration between NDLEA and the Nigerian Army.
Speaking with newsmen, Stephen Sunday, one of the suspects, said he retired voluntarily as a constable from the Nigeria Police in 1997 and that he was now a plumber, married with five children.
The other suspect, Nze Ezwnwa, said each of the 50 bags of cannabis was expected to fetch N2,500 upon delivery to one “Seriki” in Abuja. (NAN)