• Most Popular
  • Most Shared

Pictures

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

A look at the year's best strange and unusual photos.   Slideshow 

    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


    More from Reuters

    Photo

    Obama says U.S. will pursue plane attackers

    KAILUA, Hawaii (Reuters) - A wing of al Qaeda claimed responsibility on Monday for a failed Christmas Day attack on a U.S.-bound passenger plane and President Barack Obama vowed to bring "every element" of U.S. power against those who threaten Americans' safety. | Video

    » More Top News
    Passengers pass security notices as they approach the departure gates at Gatwick Airport, in southern England December 28, 2009. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor

    Travelers met with hassles

    The U.S. is stepping up airline security measures following the Christmas bomb scare. Here's what you can expect.  Full Article | Video 

    U.S.
    Iranian protesters take a policeman away to a safe place after he was beaten by angry protesters during fierce clashes in central Tehran December 27, 2009. Credit: REUTERS/Stringer

    Deaths, arrests in Iran

    Is Iran's "iron fist of brutality" a new volatile phase aimed at crushing the refomist movement?  Full Article | Video 

    World