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A martial arts enthusiast pulls a vehicle with a rope connected to his eye sockets during a performance in Hefei, Anhui province November 30, 2009. Picture taken November 30, 2009. REUTERS/China Daily

Pictures of the year: Oddly

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    Anti-graft squad nabs fake policeman

    LAGOS
    Wed Jan 7, 2009 9:33am EST

    LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigeria's anti-corruption police said on Tuesday it had arrested a man who posed as one of its own officials to extort money from members of the public when they tried to report cases of graft.

    Oddly Enough

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it had arrested Chief Egbe Akparakwu, 41, after discovering he had been pretending to be one of its agents and charging people for registering anti-corruption complaints.

    "He was receiving petitions from people, with a fee," EFCC spokesman Femi Babafemi said.

    Corruption is endemic in Nigeria, from traffic policemen asking for bribes at checkpoints to multi-million-dollar cases involving politicians.

    Last month another fake EFCC official was arrested for trying to extort 10 million naira ($75,000) from the governor of the oil-producing state of Bayelsa.

    Some Nigerians joke that you only know you have made it to the "major league" of the wealthy and powerful once you are the subject of an EFCC investigation.

    (Reporting by Nick Tattersall; editing by Andrew Roche)
    Oddly Enough


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