A 43-year-old dismissed Army Sergeant, Monday George, was on Wednesday brought before a Yaba Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos over alleged impersonation of a serving army man.
The accused, who resides on Apollo Road, Makoko, Yaba, however, pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge of impersonation and forgery of an army identity card preferred against him.
The Prosecutor, Sergeant Modupe Olaluwoye, had told the court that George committed the offences on January 2 at Makoko Primary School, Yaba. Olaluwoye said the accused was dismissed from the Nigerian Army more than three years ago but he kept parading himself as an army sergeant.
According to her, George had been parading himself in full army camouflage, working as a security personnel for different individuals since 2015.
She said: “When Makoko was celebrating its day, the defendant was dressed in an army camouflage at the venue.
“It was another army personnel at the location, Mr. Lucky Macaulay, who discovered that the defendant was no longer in the army.
“A forged army identity card with No. 03NA/53/1965-81 was also recovered from him.”
Olaluwoye submitted that the offences contravened Sections 77 and 365 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that impersonation attracts three years’ imprisonment.
Chief Magistrate Oluwatoyin Oghere granted the accused N50,000 bail with two sureties in like sum.
Oghere ordered said that the sureties must be gainfully employed with evidence of three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The chief magistrate directed that one of the sureties must be a blood relation of the accused.
She adjourned the case until March 6 for mention.
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