Mr. Abimaje Shittu, a 25-year-old native of Egume, Dekina Local Government Area, Kogi State, was apprehended by security officers at the Kogi State Polytechnic for posing as an Inspector of Police and having a false identification card.
Shittu was detained by the Polytechnic’s security officers on Saturday, October 15, 2022, while attempting to get to the Polytechnic Main Campus in Lokoja, according to a statement made by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Omale Oredo.
Shittu, who claimed to have earned a National Diploma in Accounting with the matriculation number 2016/ND/ACCT/188, said that his deceased brother Ekele Ahiaba, a native of Anyigba, Dekina Local Government area, gave him a bogus identification card with the number “219264” and the name Abdullahi Saduki.
He asserted that the aforementioned Ekele Ahiaba was a police officer who died after serving in Port Harcourt.
The perpetrator also admitted to utilizing the phony ID card for months with the intention of exploiting it to gain easy access from security checkpoints as a Keke NAPEP operator in Lokoja city. He acknowledged that he was using it to avoid being harassed in public.
The offender went on to say that he had come to the university to do business with a Mr. Idris Usman, who he claimed owned and maintained a Point of Sales outlet and manufactured shoes at the Student Center.
Mr. Abimaje Shittu has been handed over to the proper security agency for further investigation.
The arrest of Mr. Shittu is the latest in a string of violent offenders who have recently entered the Polytechnic, purportedly to commit crimes.
Oredo said, “The spate of arrests are, therefore, a strong indication of the commitment of the Rector, Dr. Salisu Usman, to stamping out crimes and criminalities on campus.
While praising the bravery of the security guards, Dr. Usman issued a warning to cultists and others with other ulterior reasons to avoid the school.
He also warned anyone using false identification to mislead the public under the guise of being security officers to stop doing so or face consequences from the institution.
The Rector consequently pleaded with everyone to follow the law’s guidelines.
