Fake Federal SARS officer, 85 others arrested in Benin

Friday, January 6, 2017 1:31 am

Austin Ebetu, was arrested for allegedly posing as a member of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Edo State Police Command has arrested and paraded a 45-year-old man, Austin Ebetu, for allegedly impersonating as a member of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

Also paraded by the State Police Commissioner, Mr. Haliru Gwandu, were 85 other suspects arrested for various crimes, ranging from armed robbery, stealing, kidnapping and cultism.

According to CP, Ebetu the fake Federal SARS officer, was apprehended at Okhuaihe, along Benin-Asaba Road after discovering the uniform of SARS and a police identity card bearing his name in his possession.

The suspect, who admitted the crime, told journalists that he has been working with the police force for over 20 years as an informant and auctioneer and that the identity card in his possession was given to him to enable him gain free access to the Lagos Police Command while the uniform and cap belonged to his late friend, Solomon, who died two months ago in an operation as an officer.

“He gave me the shirt because sometime when they come back, he will call me and say, keep these things in my car and when I am going, I will take them, but unfortunately on that fateful day, they went to operation, the guy died.

“They just finished the burial and I said let me just go for Christmas and come back. I did not know that it will get to this level.‎ The identity card was given to me to enable me gain access to the Command,” he said.

Items recovered from various suspects paraded include cut to sizes guns, double barrel guns, battle axe, dagger, expended cartridges, eight vehicles, 191 bags of indian hemps amongst others.

Gwandu, while thanking the general public for volunteering information to the police that has led to the arrest of the suspects, said the command was ready to make the society very hot for criminals in the state.

He solicited for necessary information that could lead to the arrest of criminal elements, assuring members of the public of the confidentiality of their sources of information.