The Nigerian Army on Thursday said it has arrested Alhaji Tijjani Abdul Rauf, a man posing as a military general, misleading the public and abusing the prestige of the military institution.

In a statement issued by Appolonia Anene, the Army said it uncovered and arrested Rauf who parades himself as a retired Major General after he consistently exploited false credentials to intimidate unsuspecting civilians,

Anene said investigations showed that contrary to his claims, the imposter was never commissioned into the Nigerian Army, nor did he attain the rank of a general from the service.

She stated that further investigations revealed that Tijjani also fraudulently claimed attendance at the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, while asserting that he was a recipient of the national honour, Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).

“The impostor was found to have consistently exploited these false credentials to intimidate unsuspecting civilians, including during court proceedings where he presented himself as a retired senior military officer to command undue respect, sympathy and influence.

“During interrogation, media reports published in two nationally recognised newspapers were recovered, in which the impostor was repeatedly referred to 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,” Anene said.

Continuing, she highlighted that one such claim, published by an online newspaper, was the identification of Tijjani as “Major General AbdulRauf Tijjani (rtd)” in a suit instituted against the Lagos State Government and other respondents, in which he sought ₦8 billion in damages.

In another report, the imposter was also referred to as a Major General while detailing 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 wishes to categorically state 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. We strongly condemn this act of impersonation, which constitutes a grave offence, undermines public trust and tarnishes the honour and integrity of officers who have genuinely served the nation with distinction.

“The Nigerian Army reiterates its commitment to protecting the sanctity of its ranks, honours and institutions and will continue to collaborate with relevant authorities to ensure that impostors and fraudsters are brought to justice. Members of the public are hereby urged to verify claims of military status through appropriate channels and report any suspicious representations to security agencies,” she added.

She further called on the general public to be mindful of the dangers associated with the impersonation or use of military uniforms and badges by unauthorised persons as the Army will not hesitate to apprehend and prosecute such persons in accordance with the law.