Police Arrest Fake NDLEA Operative For Impersonation, Extortion In Bauchi

Operatives of the Bauchi State Police Command have arrested a 25-year-old man, Haruna Abdulaziz of Wuntin Dada, Bauchi, for allegedly impersonating security personnel and extorting residents within the Bauchi metropolis.

The Command’s spokesperson, SP Nafiu Habib, disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday, saying the suspect was arrested following a distress call received on July 23, 2026.

According to him, the manager of Royal Zee Bar, located behind Gwallameji Primary School, reported that a man claiming to be an operative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) was being assaulted by an angry mob.

He said a patrol team from the ‘E’ Division in Yelwa was immediately deployed to the scene, where officers rescued the suspect from the mob and took him into custody for investigation.

During interrogation, the police linked the suspect to an earlier complaint lodged at the same division by a 19-year-old resident of Gwallameji.

The complainant alleged that on July 18, 2026, the suspect falsely presented himself as a police officer, arrested him, and took him to a location near the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) base.

He further alleged that he was unlawfully detained for about three hours before the suspect forcibly collected his valuables, including a white Samsung A05 phone valued at N180,000, a brown Huawei Pura 70 valued at N130,000, a black power bank worth N50,000, a torchlight valued at N5,000, two phone chargers worth N30,000, and a bunch of keys.

Police said all the stolen items have been recovered and are being held as exhibits.

The statement added that the suspect remains in police custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, warned residents to be vigilant against individuals impersonating security operatives and urged members of the public to promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station for immediate action.