Fake soldier named Rufai Abubakar was detained by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) Military Personnel (MP) for allegedly attempting to book a flight at the Air Force Base at Burma Camp to Tamale, the regional capital of the Northern Region, while posing as a senior military official, according to a TV3 report.
He aroused the suspicion of the on-duty guards, and following a confrontation, he confessed that he was not in the military.
In a press release dated Wednesday, December 7, it was revealed that the suspect had embellished his military camouflage uniform with a fake Lieutenant Colonel rank and stated that he was assigned to the Northern Command headquarters.
“He also disclosed that he posed as a Senior Military Officer to enable him to defraud one Mr Abdallah Abdul Fatahu from whom he had collected an amount of Three Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢3,000.00) under the pretext of recruiting him into the Ghana Armed Forces,” the press release said.
“At the time of arrest, the suspect had in his possession fake military identification and business cards and other documents bearing his name.”
A follow-up searches at the two residences he sent the military police to led to the retrieval of documents including several certificates and fake GAF recruitment reports “bearing names of defrauded persons, military uniforms and accoutrements and a toy pistol”.
He has since been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) of the Ghana Police Service for further investigation and prosecution.
“However, considering that his two wives living at Ablekuma and Olebu respectively were under the false impression that their husband was a real military officer, it is possible that many other persons may have fallen victim to his impersonations and fraudulent activities.”
