‎The Nigerian Army has arrested a 35-year-old man, Clifford Maisamari, for allegedly impersonating a military officer and obtaining more than N700,000 from two women in Gombe and Bauchi states under the guise of romantic relationships.

‎Maisamari, a native of Zonkwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was arrested by troops of the 301 Artillery Regiment in Gombe following a complaint of impersonation.

‎The suspect allegedly collected more than N500,000 from a 34-year-old businesswoman in Gombe and about N210,000 from another woman in Bauchi after claiming to need financial assistance.

‎Speaking after his arrest, Maisamari admitted that he had falsely presented himself as a military officer but denied deliberately entering relationships to defraud the women.

‎He said he received money from the Gombe businesswoman on different occasions, including N50,000, which he described as a gift, followed by N100,000 and N250,000.

‎According to him, the woman gave him the money after he explained that he was facing financial difficulties and needed assistance for an unspecified purpose in Abuja.

‎Although he acknowledged receiving more than N500,000 from her, he insisted that he had intended to repay the money.

‎“I know it is a big thing to say you are an Army officer when you are not an officer. I agree to that, and I apologise,” he said.

‎Maisamari claimed that he neither forged military identification documents nor used a uniform to convince the women that he was a soldier. He, however, admitted that he had used the false identity to conceal aspects of his personal circumstances.

‎He said he was a patent medicine dealer in Kaduna State before moving to the North-East in search of better business opportunities.

‎The suspect maintained that he had genuine intentions towards the women and did not enter the relationships with plans to disappear with their money.

‎However, the Gombe-based businesswoman, who requested anonymity, said she became suspicious after coming across a Facebook post warning women about a man allegedly posing as a military officer to defraud them.

‎She said when she confronted Maisamari with the post, he allegedly dismissed it as an attempt by a former girlfriend to frame him.

‎The woman explained that their relationship lasted about a month and that she initially trusted him because of his confidence and the convincing explanations he gave about himself.

‎She confirmed that the first N50,000 was given to him as a gift but said subsequent requests for financial assistance resulted in losses exceeding N500,000.

‎The businesswoman said she contacted military personnel she knew and asked them to verify a promotion letter Maisamari had shown her.

‎According to her, the officers told her that the number on the document did not match their records.

‎She said she subsequently concealed her suspicions and continued communicating with the suspect to prevent him from fleeing before he could be arrested.

‎The woman added that she invited him to her office on the morning of his arrest under the pretext of allowing him to collect her car, which he had been driving.

‎She said soldiers arrested him when he arrived.

‎Although she expressed willingness to recover her money, the businesswoman said her greater concern was preventing other women from falling victim to similar schemes.

‎She advised young women to exercise caution in romantic relationships, particularly those initiated online, warning that confidence and convincing personal stories were not sufficient proof of a person’s identity or intentions.

‎Maisamari also admitted receiving about N210,000 from a woman in Bauchi, claiming that the money was given to him during discussions about their relationship and possible marriage plans.

‎He said disagreements later arose between them, prompting the woman to demand a refund.

‎According to him, he requested more time to repay the money but eventually blocked her after their exchanges became contentious.

‎An Army official at the 301 Artillery Regiment in Gombe said the suspect was arrested following a report of impersonation.

‎The official said preliminary investigations had been conducted, adding that further questioning would focus on determining whether Maisamari had accomplices and establishing the extent of his alleged activities.

‎“We are still going to question him more to know if he has a syndicate and the extent he has gone in his duplicitous act,” the official said.

‎He explained that the Army intervened because of the alleged impersonation, noting that such cases required attention to protect the institution’s reputation.

‎The official added that the suspect would be handed over to the police after the completion of the Army’s preliminary investigations.

‎He said Maisamari had admitted during questioning to receiving approximately N200,000 from one woman and about N500,000 from another.

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