Fake EFCC operative pleads guilty to impersonation in Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arraigned Salifu Olije Mustapha before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Kubwa, Abuja, for allegedly impersonating an EFCC operative and defrauding members of the public.

Mustapha was docked before Justice A.I. Akobi on a four-count charge bordering on impersonation and misrepresentation. He pleaded guilty to all the charges when they were read to him.

Following his plea, prosecution counsel, R.U. Adaga, urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.

One of the charges stated that the defendant, while falsely posing as a Nigerian Air Force officer, aided two accomplices—one currently at large and another under investigation—by conveying them in EFCC operational uniforms to defraud unsuspecting victims in Abuja.

Another count alleged that Mustapha impersonated a public servant by presenting himself as an officer of the Nigerian Air Force, using that false identity to deceive and defraud members of the public.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter until June 1, 2026, for sentencing.

The EFCC said Mustapha was arrested following intelligence reports linking him to impersonation. He was reportedly caught wearing a fake EFCC uniform alongside accomplices, harassing motorists and extorting money from them.