*Asks IGP to order his arrest
By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The Importer’s Association of Nigeria (IMAN) has petitioned the Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission over alleged impersonation by one retired DIG Philom Leha Ibrahim.
IMAN further demanded that retired DIG Leha Ibrahim be arrested, investigated and prosecuted for abuse of office and fraud.
The Director General of IMAN Special Taskforce, Amb. Chijioke Okoro made this known in a press statement yesterday. He said that the Board of Trustees of Importers Association of Nigeria has since dissocated itself from the impostor and not aware of his claims as the as the Director General of IMAN.
Okoro alleged that the imposter has been defrauding unsuspecting public, mounting illegal road blocks, issuing appointment letters and using the name of IMAN to curry favours from government officials.
The statement alleged that despite the fact that the matter is before a court of competent jurisdiction, Ibrahim has gone ahead to parade himself as the Director General of Importers Association of Nigeria which amounts to contempt of court.
He said, “lt is very disturbing to brief the public through the press, the shameful abuse of and privileged perpetrated by DIG Philom Leha lbrahim (RTD) by parading himself as the Direcior General of Importer’s Association of Nigeria (IMAN) Special Taskforce, using the police letter headed paper, to commit this fraudulent practice. The medium by which he use to extort money from unsuspected individuals and general public for the past couple of years.
“No doubt, he was a member of the Board of Trustees, but then arose some discrepancies that led to services of court cases against him and others and injunction on-going in various level of court, High court and Appeal court.
“We therefore appeal to the general public and innocent Nigerians to discountenance such imposter to avoid been defrauded thereby becoming victims.
“The Inspector General of Police as well as Police Service Commission is hereby notified that the DIG Leha Ibrahim Rtd, had left the police service for a while now, but operating as if he is still in police service by using police letter-headed papers to give appointment letters to unsuspected Nigerians, issue official police signal’s to group of unsuspected able bodied men to mount roadblocks to extort money from innocent Nigerians without police authority thereby impersonating the Inspector General of Police who has the rights and privileged to issue out such signals.
“Therefore, we hereby request the Inspector General of Police and Police Service Commission to swing into action by arresting DIG Leha Ibrahim, investigate him and if found guilty of this shameful acts, prosecute and brought to book.
“The Inspector General of Police as well as Police Service Commission is hereby notified that the DIG Leha Ibrahim Rtd, had left the police service for a while now, but operating as if he is still in police service by using police letter-headed papers to:
“Give appointment letters to unsuspected Nigerian youths under the umbrella of IMAN.
“Issue official police Signals to group of unsuspected able bodied men to mount roadblocks to extort money from innocent Nigerians without police authority thereby impersonating the Inspector General of Police who has the rights and privileged to issue out such signals” Chijioke alleged.
When asked why he has not gone back to the court to report the new development, he replied that the strike embarked upon by the judicial workers has frustrated all his efforts to inform the court.
Meanwhile efforts made to speak with the accused retired DIG were unsuccessful as his phone number was not available. Also a text message sent to him was not replied as at the time of filling this report.
