The Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Lagos, has uncovered what officials describe as a calculated and long-running impersonation racket, following the arrest of a 27-year-old suspect who allegedly posed as a serving personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to defraud unsuspecting traders across major markets in the state.
Parading the suspect before journalists at the Centre, the Public Relations Officer of NAFRC, Commander Patricia Ochei, disclosed that the arrest followed a distress call from traders at Ladipo Market on February 18, 2026. According to her, marketers who maintain cordial relations with the military detachment alerted the barracks that a man clad in military camouflage was purchasing goods and issuing fake bank payment alerts instead of making legitimate transfers.
Commander Ochei explained that the suspect was apprehended by vigilant traders who reportedly mobbed him before the intervention of officers from the Ladipo Police Division. “Before we arrived at the scene, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) had already stepped in to rescue him from the angry crowd,” she said. The suspect had claimed he was a serving NAF personnel attached to 055 Camp, Lagos, prompting military authorities to take custody of him for further verification.
However, preliminary investigations swiftly unraveled his claims. Upon contacting authorities at 055 Camp, Lagos, it was discovered that the suspect was not on their nominal roll. “He is not, and has never been, a personnel of the Nigerian Air Force,” Commander Ochei stated emphatically, describing him as an impostor who had perfected the art of deception.
Further inquiries revealed that the vehicle allegedly used in perpetrating the fraud was not military property but had been provided to him for commercial Uber operations. The vehicle remains at the Ladipo Police Station as investigations continue. Military authorities subsequently confirmed that the suspect had no affiliation whatsoever with the Armed Forces.
In a startling twist, the Provost Officer at 651 NAF Base, Ikeja, reportedly contacted NAFRC following the arrest, indicating that the same individual had been on security watchlists. His photograph had earlier circulated among security units after similar incidents were recorded at Oshodi Market and Alaba International Market. Civil police sources confirmed that he had been tracked in the past but managed to evade capture.
Commander Ochei further disclosed that the suspect’s modus operandi spanned over three years, during which he allegedly defrauded traders at Ladipo, Trade Fair and Alaba markets using fake transfer alerts while dressed in military uniform. At least five victims appeared at NAFRC to identify him, including an elderly woman who claimed she was swindled of over N300,000.
Investigations into his background painted a troubling portrait. Identified as Yusuf Abdullahi Apolabi from Kwara State, the suspect reportedly had no fixed residence and had been living with friends in Lagos. His stepfather, said to be a retired officer, denied close ties with him, stating that he neither raised him nor was he residing in the family home. His biological mother reportedly has three other children with the stepfather.
In his statement, the suspect claimed he was introduced to the scheme in July last year while working as a commercial motorcyclist between Iyana-Ipaja and Oshodi. He alleged that a man he identified as “Sergeant Samuel,” whom he described as an Air Force personnel, provided him with camouflage uniform and boots to participate in what was presented as a security assignment at a party. He claimed he was paid N35,000 for the role, an experience that allegedly opened the door to his subsequent impersonation activities.
Military authorities have since reiterated their zero tolerance for impersonation and criminal misuse of military identity. Commander Ochei warned members of the public to remain vigilant and to verify identities where necessary, stressing that the Armed Forces would continue to collaborate with civil authorities to clamp down on impostors whose actions tarnish the image of the military and undermine public trust.