Police

A self-acclaimed official of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) was on Tuesday arrested by police in Lagos while attempting to defraud a local government chairman in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the suspect (nameswitheld) was arrested at Ijaiye road while attempting to collect N2 million from Mr Ganiyu Egunjobi, the Chairman, Agege Local Government.

Egunjobi, while briefing journalists at the Area `G` Police Command, Ogba, said that the suspect had been calling him for over four days now, demanding for N2 million.

According to him, the suspect, who paraded himself as an ICPC official, initiated a phone conversation with me on Oct. 26 at 12 noon.

“He told me he was an official of the anti-graft agency.

“He said there was a petition against me before the agency in which I was accused of corrupt practices in my capacity as the chairman of Agege Local Government.

“Curiosity got better of me, I started to play along. I checked for his name on true caller application, but the name he used to register his SIM raised my suspicion.

“I invited him to a meeting that day at the council Secretariat, which he honoured at 5.00p.m,” the council chairman said.

Egunjobi said that during the discussions, he gave his name as simply Kenneth, adding that he then informed me about the alleged petition.

The suspect said he wanted to assist me because I was his friend on Facebook.

The chairman said the suspect told him he was out to help me and to ensure I did not face prosecution.

He then demanded for cash gift of N2 million for himself and his colleagues in the office.

“Before then, I have informed the police and they were on ground under the cover around a restaurant at Ijaiye Road where he was finally arrested.

Confirming the incident, a senior police officer handling the case but pleaded anonymity confirmed the incident.

The officer told newsmen that the suspect would be charged to court immediately to face prosecution.