The Niger State Police Command has apprehended a gang of impostors who allegedly posed as operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to extort and abduct students in Lapai, a university town in north-central Nigeria.
Observers Times learned that the syndicate, consisting of five individuals, was busted following a swift police operation that led to their arrest on Tuesday.
According to law enforcement authorities, the prime suspects Emmanuel Linus, 30; Hyelda Aliyu, 28; and Abduljallid Tanko, 33 were all traced to Abuja but were intercepted on Suleja Road, near Kwakuti, while attempting to flee in a Toyota Corolla with the registration number ABJ 245 CU.
The state police public relations officer, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the arrests and provided chilling details of the suspects’ operation.
“The suspects entered a student’s room with electric tasers held as guns, collected five phones, and abducted two people,” Mr Abiodun disclosed. He further explained that the impostors presented fake EFCC identification cards, all bearing the same number 1069 allegedly produced at a shop in Nyanya, Abuja.
The criminal plot took a more sinister turn as the abductors demanded a ransom of N10 million from the family of one of the abducted students.
“The suspects demanded N10 million from the student’s family, later negotiating to N500,000, before they were arrested,” Mr Abiodun said.
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Further investigations uncovered the roles of two additional suspects, identified as informants Mohammed Hassan and Hamisu Adamu both residents of Angwan-Hausa, Lapai. The police said they provided the impersonators with intelligence about the students, setting the stage for the abduction.
Mr Abiodun stated that Emmanuel Linus, alleged to be the ringleader, was a dismissed soldier and a known ex-convict.
“The informants gave Emmanuel Linus information about the students, having known each other in Paiko. Emmanuel was identified as a dismissed soldier with criminal records and an ex-convict in the past two years,” the police spokesperson revealed.
All five suspects are now in custody and undergoing further interrogation at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna.
The police say the investigation is ongoing and that more revelations may emerge in the coming days.
Security analysts say the Lapai incident underscores a broader pattern of criminals impersonating security and anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria. The widespread availability of counterfeit ID cards and tactical gear often sold in local markets has made it increasingly easy for fraudsters to deceive unsuspecting citizens.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has repeatedly raised the alarm over such impersonations. In a public advisory, the anti-graft agency warned Nigerians to be cautious of individuals claiming to be EFCC operatives without proper documentation.
“We do not conduct operations without proper identification and documentation,” the Commission stated in the warning.
