DSS operatives have arrested a 32-year-old man in Abuja for impersonating a Service personnel while using tactical gear and a fake pistol to extort motorists.

Operatives trailed Moferewa Maiye to his hideout near NITEL Junction along Adetokunbo Ademola Way, Wuse II, according to a security source with knowledge of the operation.

At the time of his arrest, Maiye wore a DSS tactical uniform and carried a fake pistol.

Maiye, who hails from Agbajojun Village in Mopamuro Local Government Area of Kogi State, claimed during interrogation that the kit belonged to his late brother, Monday Maiye, a deceased DSS personnel.

He remains in DSS custody as of Thursday, August 20.

No court charges have been filed against him, and investigators have not yet determined how long he operated or the number of victims he targeted, the source stated.

The arrest followed credible intelligence that he had been using the uniform and weapon to intimidate commuters along the busy Wuse II corridor.

“Investigators are also trying to establish how long the suspect has been involved in similar acts of impersonation and extortion,” the security source explained.

“The arrest underscores growing concerns by the Service over the activities of individuals who impersonate security personnel to intimidate members of the public and commit criminality.”