Police authorities in Bauchi State have arrested a 28-year-old man identified as Jibrin Ali from Zandar, Niger Republic, for impersonating military personnel.
Jibrin was apprehended in the Yankari Game Reserve, located in Alkeleri Local Government Area, during a routine patrol by detectives from the Alkeleri Divisional Police Headquarters, in collaboration with local security forces.
A statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Command, Ahmed Wakil, said: “Jibrin was found impersonating as military personnel and displaying suspicious behaviour in an area known for bandit activity, and his arrest was met with resistance”.
Upon interrogation, he failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for his presence in the forest.
Authorities suspect that the impersonator may have ties to criminal groups operating in the area.
The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, ordered a full investigation, with the case now transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).
In a separate incident on the same day, police intercepted a trailer loaded with over one thousand bags of 25 kilogrammes each of diverted iodized salt, valued at more than ten million naira.
Wakil explained that the operation was based on credible intelligence, which led to the arrest of two young men, Sadik Jidda and Ibrahim Ahmad.
The truck’s driver evaded arrest and remains at large.
According to Wakil, the police commissioner has praised the efforts of his officers and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating criminal activity in the state.
