Police Arrest Fake CSP for Fraud, Impersonation in Kano

The Kano State Police Command has arrested a 35-year-old man, Adamu Musa, of Kureken Sani Quarters, Kano, for allegedly impersonating a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) and defrauding members of the public.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Kano, saying the suspect was arrested on Sept. 1 at about 7:30 p.m. following a distress report from 52 Police Mobile Force (PMF), Challawa. He said operatives of the Panshekara Police Division acted on credible intelligence and arrested Musa while allegedly parading himself as a senior police officer.

Kiyawa said preliminary investigation showed that the suspect specialised in defrauding unsuspecting members of the public by claiming to have influence over police recruitment, postings and transfers. He said the suspect allegedly demanded money from victims after promising to secure recruitment slots and facilitate transfers or postings for them.

According to him, the suspect used edited photographs and Artificial Intelligence-generated images of himself alongside senior strategic commanders of the Nigeria Police Force to make his claims appear genuine. He said the suspect also allegedly used the names of senior police officers to deceive members of the public into believing that he had the authority to influence police decisions.

The PPRO said a search of the suspect’s residence led to the recovery of one pair of black jacket uniform, two pairs of black shoes, one pair of camouflage uniform, one blue uniform top and N300,000 cash. He said the suspect remained in police custody and would be charged to court upon completion of investigation.

The Command cautioned members of the public against fraudsters and impersonators using uniforms, photo-editing and AI technology to deceive people. It reiterated that recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force is free and advised residents to verify the identity of anyone claiming to be a police officer, particularly those demanding money for recruitment, transfers or postings, and report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.