DSS nabs fake operative extorting Abuja motorists with toy gun

The Department of State Services (DSS) has apprehended Moferewa Maiye, a man accused of posing as a DSS officer and extorting Abuja commuters and motorists with a counterfeit firearm. Maiye was apprehended late Wednesday by DSS agents at a hideout near NITEL Junction on Adetokunbo Ademola Way in Wuse II, Abuja, following intelligence received by the Service.

At the time of his capture, the suspect was said to be dressed in a DSS tactical uniform and holding a fake pistol. A security source revealed that Maiye had been using the uniform and weapon to intimidate commuters and motorists, demanding money from them. Maiye claimed to hail from Agbajojun Village in Kogi State's Mopamuro Local Government Area and told investigators that his late brother, Monday Maiye, was a DSS officer who had passed away several years ago.

The suspect identified the late brother as Monday Maiye and claimed that the DSS uniform and items found in his possession belonged to him. Investigators are now trying to determine how long the suspect had been involved in impersonation and extortion activities. The arrest highlights the DSS's growing concern over individuals who impersonate security personnel to intimidate the public and commit crimes.

Maiye is currently in DSS custody and is being interrogated, while authorities probe how he obtained the Service's uniform and other tactical equipment.