Authorities of the Guards Brigade yesterday arrested a fake army corporal who found his way into the high-security Presidential Villa in Abuja and visited many offices as the escort of a lady. The Guards Brigade Public Relations Officer Captain Njideka Clara Ogwu said Hussain Emmanuel was arrested by soldiers on guard duty at Gate 11 of the villa trying to gain access into the main building. She said Emmanuel was in full army camouflage uniform and had an AK-47 helmet with a fake ID card when he was arrested.



The spokesman said Emmanuel was acting as an escort to one Idiye Macphil who claimed to have served as member of the House of Representatives. She said, “Emmanuel presented a fake ID card to the soldiers on guard. The ID card contained the picture and name of Emmanuel while the back side of the card contains symbols which can only be seen in a General’s ID card. He confessed to be a fake soldier during interrogation and he was arrested.”

She said Emmanuel was confident in his approach and he wore the full regalia of junior officers including belts and helmet and could be mistaken for a real soldier. He claimed to have obtained the uniforms from an army captain in Port-Harcourt “and later said his friend who is now an army corporal in Port-Harcourt gave him the uniforms but we could not independently verify his claims.”

He also said he knew Machpil since 2007 but they lost contact with each other until recently, when she sighted him at a place in Port-Harcourt. Macphil asked if he knew Abuja very well and can escort her to see a permanent secretary in the federal civil service attached to the presidency and he agreed. The name of the permanent secretary was not disclosed but Macphil told the soldiers that she was once an “honorable member” of the House of Representatives, the PRO said.

Captain Ogwu said the fake corporal and the woman have been handed over to the police for prosecution.

When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer in Asokoro, CSP Ahmed Musa said the case has been transferred to the police and investigation has commenced. Those arrested in connection with the matter will be charged after investigation, he said.