5, Including Woman Arrested Posing As Navy Officers In Lagos (PHOTO)

The Nigerian Navy (NN) on Wednesday, September 10, 2014, arrested 5 individuals for parading themselves as members of the Navy in Lagos, Vanguard reports.

The suspects, 4 men and a woman in their defence said they were working the Nigerian Merchant Navy at the Lagos State Government Emergency Management Authority, (LASEMA).

They were apprehended by personnel of the Naval Provost garbed in full naval attire.

Rear Admiral Illesanmi Alade, the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command affirmed the arrest, adding that photographs of the suspects in nval uniform, service shoes, berets, rating caps, NN emblem, uniforms and officers rank, including Merchant Navy identity cards among others were recovered from the suspects, while blaming a lack of regulatory body to monitor the manufacturing of service uniforms for the activities of impersonators, beseeching Nigerians to be vigilant and report any impersonator parading himself as a member of the Nigerian Navy in all states of the federation.

He said: “The issue is that these uniforms can be manufactured anywhere. So, it will be very difficult to regulate the importation of this kind of uniform because even here in Nigeria, it is being smuggled in. But what we are saying is that if anybody is found importing any military accoutrement including uniform, he will be arrested.”

The suspects were identified as Arigo Royal (Commander), Chukwuemeka Ndubuisi (Lieutenant), Emmnuel Jolayemi and Ogundola Oluwasegun (Sub Lieutenants) and Onwuzuruike Jullite (Ordinry Seaman)

One o f them, Oluwasegun, said: “I am a merchant navy official and we work with the Lagos State Government under the ministry of Special Duties, Search and Rescue Operations. We were on our way to a meeting with the Lagos State ferry workers at 32, Lawson Street, Onikan, when we were apprehended by the Navy We did not state that we were naval personnel. Merchant Navy ranks are registered under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, including the uniforms. The ranks were registered for us to have a formal background. The rank I am wearing is that of Lieutenant and the difference between us and the Nigerian Navy is clear. For instance, while our rank has a black background, that of the Navy has blue.”

In another twist, a man who claimed to be the head of the team, arrived the naval base to effect their release, just before they were to be handed over to the police for interrogation and was arrested also. When he was searched, a wallet containing two identity cards bearing Captain Sunny Oyeyipo and other military accoutrements were discovered, after which they were all handed over to the police for investigation and subsequent prosecution.