Fake army general, who claimed Pres. Buhari nominated him as COAS, arrested over N270 million fraud

Operatives of the Lagos State Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested one Bolarinwa Oluwasegun, a fake Army General, for an alleged N270 million fraud.

The suspect is reported to have posed as a General in the Nigerian Army. He allegedly made false representations to a complainant, Kodef Clearing Resources, that President Muhammadu Buhari had shortlisted him and one other to be appointed as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and that he needed a short grant “to press and process the appointment.”

He reportedly forged a letter of appointment as COAS purportedly signed by the President and showed the same to the victim to further prove his claim. In the said letter, he claimed that he needed to pay a certain amount of money into the coffers of the Federal Government of Nigeria, as part of the requirements for the appointment as COAS.

EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement on Thursday, January 13, said the suspect in his bid to defr#ud the victim, also allegedly forged several documents and the signature of the President.

“He was arrested at his house in the Alagbado area of Lagos State on Wednesday, January 12, 2022. Upon his arrest, six pump action g#ns, three cartridge b#llets, a swagger stick and several forged documents were recovered from Oluwasegun, were recovered,” Uwujaren said.