The 82 Division of Nigerian Army, Enugu yesterday said it arrested a fake soldier and also smashed an electricity cable syndicate that operated in Nsukka area of Enugu State.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the division, Maj.-Gen. Lasisi Adegboye, who addressed newsmen on the recent feats made during the "Exercise Atilogwu Udo 1", said the suspects were arrested by troops of Sector 5 within Enugu State.

The GOC said: "On Tuesday, November 26, Troops of Sector 5 of Exercise Atilogwu Udo 1 on routine patrol arrested one impostor, Madukwe Obinna, at Nsukka in Enugu State, while impersonating to be a serving soldier of the Nigerian Army.

"The suspect was in a vehicle conveying garden eggs from Abuja to Abia State; while preliminary investigation revealed that he was given a lift by the driver of the vehicle he boarded because he claimed to be a soldier.

"Items recovered from Madukwe includes; Nigerian Army identity card, one pair of desert camouflage T-shirt, two camouflage T-shirts, one 3/4 camouflage short, one mobile phone and the sum of N40,000.

"Other items are a fake N1,000 note, a Japanese Yen, a toy pistol, fake Nigeria Police identity card, 26 Nigerian Army vehicle stickers, 23 Nigeria Army emblems, one pair of desert boots, 2 engineer cap badges, a name tag bearing MADUKWE O. I. and a jackknife."

He said in a related development, troops of sector 5 on patrol at Opi near Nsukka on Wednesday, were given tip-off by natives on activities of criminals suspected to be involved in stealing electric cables in the town.

Adegboye said, "A pursuit by troops led to the arrest of one of the criminals by name Ifeanyi Agbaraenyi, while the other two fled. Preliminary investigation revealed that the vandals came from Udi, Onitsha and Enugu. However, his attempt to bribe the soldiers with N700,000 was stiffly resisted by the soldiers."

The suspects, he said, would be handed over to the police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps commands in Enugu State for further investigation and prosecution.

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