Police arrest three over suspected ICPC ID forgery in Nasarawa

By Edwin Philip, Lafia The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested three persons over the alleged forgery of an identity card bearing the name of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and recovered an unregistered vehicle suspected to have been stolen. The suspects were identified as Mohammed Umar, Mohammed Nuhu and Ibrahim Suleiman.

They were arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit during a routine patrol around Bukan Sidi, Lafia. The Police Public Relations Officer, Ramhan Nansel, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists on Sunday in Lafia. According to the statement, the operatives intercepted a Lexus IS 250 without a registration number while the three suspects were travelling in it.

During questioning, Nuhu allegedly introduced himself as an ICPC officer and presented an identification card purportedly issued by the commission. However, when Umar, who was driving the vehicle, was asked to explain its ownership, he reportedly failed to provide a satisfactory account, prompting the arrest of all three occupants for further investigation.

The police said preliminary findings indicated that the ICPC identification card presented by Nuhu was allegedly forged. Nuhu reportedly told investigators that he accompanied the driver from Kaduna State to Lafia because Umar did not have a valid driver’s licence. The statement further disclosed that investigations were ongoing into an allegation linking Suleiman to a group identified as the Eiye Confraternity.

The police said the allegations were being investigated to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the level of involvement of each suspect. The suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue. The command said they would be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation. It added that efforts were being intensified to establish the vehicle’s ownership and determine whether other offences were connected to the incident.

The Commissioner of Police, Nasarawa State Command, Shetima Jauro Mohamed, reiterated the command’s commitment to proactive policing, intelligence-led operations and sustained efforts to combat crime across the state.