A 46-year-old driver, Afolabi Lamidi, charged with impersonating a Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigeria Army and assulting people with horsewhip, on Tuesday, appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.
The police arraiged Lamidi, who resides in Mushin area of Lagos on a two-count charge of breach of peace and impersonation before Magistrate J.A Adegun.
He, however, pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, ASP Clifford Ogu, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on June 17 at Pen-Cinema, Agege, Lagos.
Ogu said that the defendant presented himself as an army officer by wearing the complete army uniform and assaulting people.
‘The defendant conducted himself in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace by flogging some people in a motor park with a horse whip.
“When some security officers questioned him, he claimed to be a lieutenant colonel in the army but could not present his identity card.
“They discovered that the defendant was not a member of the Nigeria Army and was taken to the station for interrogation,” the prosecutor said.
Ogu said the offences contravened Sections 168 and 77 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 77 prescribes three years jail term for impersonating any member of the armed forces.
Adegun granted the defendant bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum.
He said that the surety should be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The court adjourned the case until Aug. 8 for mention. (NAN)
