Man Arrested For Impersonating Retired Army Major
The Nigerian Army has arrested one Alhaji Tijjani Abdul Rauf for allegedly impersonating a retired Major General and misleading the public while abusing the prestige of the military institution.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Appolonia Anele, said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect was never commissioned into the Nigerian Army at any time, nor did he attain the rank of General or retire from the service in any capacity.
According to Anele, further findings showed that Abdul Rauf also falsely claimed to have attended the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, and fraudulently asserted that he was a recipient of the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).
“All these claims have been conclusively confirmed to be entirely false and fabricated,” she said, adding that no retired Army General bears the name Alhaji Tijjani Abdul Rauf.
The Army spokesperson disclosed that the impostor consistently exploited the false credentials to intimidate unsuspecting members of the public, including during court proceedings where he presented himself as a retired senior military officer to command undue respect, sympathy and influence.
She added that during interrogation, media reports published in two nationally recognised newspapers were recovered, in which Abdul Rauf was repeatedly described as a “retired Major General.”
“These misrepresentations, now established to be false, further demonstrate the extent to which the individual sustained his deception within the public space,” Anele said.
According to her, one of the publications identified the suspect as “Major General Abdul Rauf Tijjani (rtd)” in a suit instituted against the Lagos State Government and other respondents, in which he sought ₦8 billion in damages. Another report, dated November 9, 2020, similarly referred to him as a “retired Major General” while reporting his appeal against the dismissal of the same suit, which the court had earlier described as a gross abuse of court process and incompetent in law.
“The Nigerian Army categorically states that no retired officer of the Nigerian Army bears the name Alhaji Tijjani Abdul Rauf, nor has any officer with such identity ever held the rank of Major General or above within the service,” she said.
Anele strongly condemned the act of impersonation, describing it as a grave offence that undermines public trust and tarnishes the honour and integrity of officers who have genuinely served the nation with distinction.
She reiterated the Army’s commitment to safeguarding the sanctity of its ranks, honours and institutions, adding that it will continue to collaborate with relevant authorities to ensure that impostors and fraudsters are brought to justice.
“The Nigerian Army remains steadfast in upholding professionalism, integrity and accountability in the defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” she said
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
