The Police Command in Niger State has announced the detention of a dismissed soldier, identified as Michael Musa, for alleged impersonation and fraudulent activities. The command's Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a statement issued in Minna on Tuesday.

According to SP Abiodun, the investigation began on May 27, around 2:30 pm, when a case involving criminal breach of trust, fraud, and theft was referred from a magistrate court to the Tudun-Wada Police Division. The case was initially reported by three victims who had fallen prey to the suspect's schemes.

The suspect's modus operandi involved dressing in military uniform to deceive Point of Sale (POS) operators. The first reported incident occurred on May 12, at approximately 10:00 am, near Musa Bello Primary School in Bida. The suspect allegedly collected N120,000 from a POS operator and absconded.

Subsequently, on May 23, around 9:30 am, the same individual, again clad in military camouflage, targeted a POS attendant in Kataeregi, successfully defrauding them of N300,000 before fleeing. A third incident took place on May 29, at about 4:00 pm, at a POS shop along Mandela Road, where the suspect took N500,000 from another victim.

Following these reports, police detectives, utilizing technical intelligence, successfully apprehended Michael Musa, who resides on Mandela Road, Minna. During interrogation, Musa, who was arrested while wearing a military uniform, confessed to committing these fraudulent acts. He also revealed that he had been dismissed from the military in 2022 in Benin, Edo State.

SP Abiodun stated that the case is currently under active investigation, and more victims have been coming forward to report similar complaints against the suspect.