A 35-year-old farmer, Muhammed Aliu, paraded for alleged impersonation by the Osun State Police Command on Saturday, tells BOLA BAMIGBOLA the story behind the ‘lawyer’s ID card’ found on him
What is your name and what is your job?
My name is Muhammed Aliu. I am 35 years old; I live at Owode-Ede (Osun State).
What did you do that led to your arrest by the police?
I was on a trip last week Tuesday to visit my Oluwo (my spiritualist) and consult the oracle. While still in transit, my friend, who is an accountant with Winners’ Chapel called me and said some suspected thieves burgled the Winners’ Chapel in Ede. Immediately he said that, I reminded him that I once advised that the church should fix a CCTV camera on the premises. I said had they done that, it would have enabled them to know the burglars, because it been a recurring thing.
My friend then told me he was going to the police station. As of the time he called me, I was already in Akure, Ondo State (capital).
How did this lead to the search on your house by the police?
Some people in the church told the police that the accountant has a friend that usually comes around to visit him. They said police should search my house.
I returned to Osun on Wednesday and I voluntarily went to the police station. When I got there, the police asked of my job and I said I am farmer. The police operatives said that my friend had told them that I am a lawyer but I told them that I am not a lawyer. I was told to sit at a place in the station and while sitting at the place, I wanted to pick handkerchief from my pocket to wipe my face. A policemen that saw me putting hands into pocket, asked what was in my pocket and I told him my ID card was there. The policeman came around and picked the ID card.
What ID card did you have on at the time?
It is an ID card that portrayed me as a lawyer.
Since you said you are not a lawyer, how did you come about an ID portraying you as a lawyer?
I am not a lawyer. The ID card was given to me by one Odeleye, he is a lawyer based in Ibadan. He gave it to me when we were both radio presenters in Ibadan. We were working as advocates for Justice Corruption and he did the ID card for me; I paid for it.
Did your work as an advocate for Justice Corruption entail playing the role of a lawyer or why was it important for you to carry an ID card portraying you as a lawyer?
Odeleye said he had a lawyer that he would attach me to where I could work before I would return to school. I have never gone to court to defend any case. I have never gone to any station to bail any suspect.
How do you react to the allegation that you falsely claimed to be a lawyer?
What happened was that recently, I caught some thieves and I took them to Ataoja Police Station, Osogbo. When I got there I didn’t introduce myself as a lawyer. I was afraid that those I arrested might be released without trial. So, at that point, I told them I was a lawyer.
Who did you tell that?
I told policemen at Ataoja Police Station and others there. I just said it to ensure that those arrested were not released because, if they release them, the suspects might attack me.
Are you married?
I have one wife with two kids. I was given an admission to study Law at the University of Ilorin in 2012, but I couldn’t pay school fees because I had no one to sponsor my education. The little money I had then, I used it to buy a motorcycle and I was using it for commercial transportation. Odeleye collected N100,000 from me when he gave me the ID card.
Reach the right people at the right time with Nationnewslead. Try and advertise any kind of your business to users online today.
Kindly contact us for your advert or publication @ Nationnewslead@gmail.com Call or Whatsapp: 08168544205, 07055577376, 09122592273
