The Nigerian Army has arrested a man accused of impersonating a retired major general and falsely claiming prestigious credentials to mislead the public and abuse the military’s reputation, officials said Friday.
In a statement, Acting Director of Army Public Relations Appolonia Anele identified the suspect as Alhaji Tijjani Abdul Rauf. She said preliminary investigations found that he was never commissioned into the Nigerian Army, never attained the rank of general and never retired from the service in any capacity.
Anele said the suspect also falsely claimed to have attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies and to have received the national honor of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, or OFR. She said those claims were “entirely false and fabricated,” adding that no retired Army general bears his name.
According to the Army, Abdul Rauf used the alleged false credentials to intimidate members of the public, including during court proceedings, where he presented himself as a retired senior military officer to gain undue respect and influence.
During interrogation, investigators recovered media reports from two national newspapers that repeatedly described him as a retired major general, Anele said. In one publication, he was identified as “Major General Abdul Rauf Tijjani (rtd)” in a lawsuit seeking 8 billion naira (about $—) in damages against the Lagos State Government and others. Another report, dated Nov. 9, 2020, similarly referred to him as a retired major general while covering his appeal after a court dismissed the suit 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,” Anele said.
She described the alleged impersonation as a grave offense that undermines public trust and tarnishes the integrity of officers who have served the country.
The Army said it is working with relevant authorities to ensure that anyone found guilty of impersonation or fraud is brought to justice and reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism and accountability in defending Nigeria.
