Police detain three suspected fake ICPC personnel in Lafia, Nasarawa State, after discovering an allegedly forged identification card during an investigation involving an unregistered Lexus vehicle.
The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested three persons suspected of impersonating personnel of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Ramhan Nansel, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Lafia.
Nansel said the suspects were arrested after operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit intercepted an unregistered Lexus IS 250 during a routine patrol around Bukan Sidi in Lafia.
According to him, the three occupants of the vehicle were stopped for questioning after officers observed that it was being driven without a registration number.
During interrogation, one of the suspects, identified as Mohammed Nuhu, allegedly introduced himself as an ICPC officer and presented an identification card purportedly issued by the anti-corruption agency.
However, when the driver, Mohammed Umar, was questioned about the ownership of the vehicle, he reportedly failed to provide a satisfactory explanation, prompting the arrest of all three occupants for further investigation.
Nansel said preliminary investigations allegedly established that the identification card presented by Nuhu was forged.
He added that Nuhu later claimed he accompanied the driver from Kaduna State to Lafia because the driver did not possess a valid driver’s licence.
The police spokesperson further disclosed that profiling of the suspects allegedly linked another occupant, Ibrahim Suleiman, to an unlawful group identified as the Eiye Confraternity.
He said investigations were ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the extent of each suspect’s involvement.
The three suspects remain in police custody as investigators work to verify the ownership of the vehicle and establish whether other offences are connected to the incident.
Nansel added that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Shettima Mohammed, reiterated the command’s commitment to proactive policing, intelligence-led operations and sustained efforts to combat crime across Nasarawa State.
The command also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements and activities to the nearest police station to enable security operatives to respond appropriately.
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