The Akwa Ibom State Police Command announced the arrest of one Mfon Essien, a native of Ikot Andem Itam village in the state’s Itu Local Government Area, who was posing as a soldier, and one Samuel Isaac Jumbo of No. 26 Asokoro Road, Area II, Abuja, who was also posing as a medical doctor.
SP Odiko Macdon, the command’s Public Relations Officer, stated in a press statement on Friday that the suspects were apprehended based on intelligence, and that the two were utilizing that method to threaten and cheat members of the public.
According to the statement, “relying on a report on 30/11/2021 at about 11:00am, Quick Intervention Unit Operatives of the Command proceeded to Tranquility Hotel, Nung Oku village, in Ibesikpo Asutan L.G.A and arrested one Samuel Isaac Jumbo ‘m’, aged 29yrs old of No. 26 Asokoro Road, Area II, Abuja who claimed to be a Medical Doctor attached to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH).
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime and stated that he is not a Medical Doctor as claimed. In his confessional statement, he stated that in 2015, he told his mother that he had gotten admission into the University of Lagos to study Medicine.
since then, he has collected various sums of money from her. He further stated that on 3/11/2021, he told his mother that he was going for National Youth Service ( NYSC ) at Rivers State and collected the sum of two hundred thousand naira (N200,000.00) for accommodation from her after she had bought a lot of household items for him.
“He took the money and items, came down to Uyo, squandered it and continue to deceive unsuspecting members of the Public and the hotel management that he was a Medical Doctor.
“To convince the public, he will dress up or carry his lab coat, use a bolt cab to UUTH Abak Road, after loitering around for a while, he goes back to his hotel and look for unsuspecting members of the public to defraud.”
On the fake soldier, the police spokesperson said operatives of Anti-Robbery Squad had on November, 16, 2021 at about 1:00am while on a Stop and Search operation along Nwaniba arrested the suspect who resides at Idu Uruan, Uruan L.G.A.
He added that the suspect during interrogation has confessed to the crime of impersonation and had led operatives to his house where two pairs of Army uniforms, Army shorts, two Army sweaters, Army belt, two Army caps, three pairs of Army boot, two Army jack-knives, two walkie talkie, one live Jacket, one stethoscope and a blue colour Toyota Camry car with Reg. No. LSR 735 AC were recovered.
He noted that all the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are completed.