By Evelyn Usman

LAGOS — The Nigerian Navy ship, NNS Wey, Navy Town, Lagos, has arrested six persons for masquerading as naval personnel, with a warning to others still engaged in such act to desist from it or face same fate as the arrested suspects.

Among the suspects were a staff of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, a dismissed Naval rating and son of a retired policeman.

Briefing newsmen, yesterday, on how they were arrested, the Commander, NNS Wey, Commodore Ignatus Iliya, explained that the arrest became necessary following the use of personnel’s uniform and accouterments by some unscrupulous elements to commit crimes and other vices which dents the service’s image.

He said Navy uniform, identity cards, caps and uniforms of other sister forces were recovered from the suspects.

According to him, “Usman Shehu who is supposed to be a staff of NPA has two identity cards, one for NPA and another for the Navy.

“Nemesis caught up with him as he was driving through our gate and identified himself as a Lieutenant and even showed his identify card. But the eagled eye operatives spotted him with another identity card bearing NPA and when he was subjected to questioning, he could not give reasonable reply.

“He was subsequently arrested and when his apartment was searched, incriminating documents were recovered.

“As for Imily Victor, he was arrested in complete Navy uniform at Okokomaiko. During investigation, he mentioned some of his friends that were involved. One of them is Emeka Amarachi who is currently at large.

“When we got to his house, we found both Naval and Army uniforms, including other items. Among the recovered items were his photographs in complete Navy uniform and where he posed with serving military personnel, apparently to deceive people that he is genuine.

“What he does is to cash in on any occasion organised by serving military personnel and would end up taking shots with them.

“As for Mohammed Yahaya, he has been parading himself as Peter, Paul, John and Nasiru. He said he was a Christian that converted to Islam.

“He was arrested in a Navy pull-over and combat trousers, in Navy quarters, inside Navy Town.

“He came to visit a rating who we are currently on the look out for. When his phone contacts was scrolled, we contacted one Jubril to come and identified him and when he came, he was arrested and during investigation, he was discovered to be a dismissed rating who was teaching Jubril the norms in the Navy.

“As for Anyanwu Chimezie, otherwise known as Simplicity, he was also arrested in complete Navy uniform. What gave him away was when he paid homage to a subordinate inside our barracks, which is never the case.”

We are of Merchant Navy —Suspects

However, two of the suspects claimed they were officials of the Merchant Navy. One of them, 35-year-old Usman said: “I am a staff of NPA and also a Merchant Navy.

“I was on board a ship when somebody came and suggested that there was need for us to do Navy identity card, that the Navy and NPA work hand-in-hand.

“That was how I got the Navy identity card. But I did not know he was lying.”

I bought the uniform in Cotonou —Yahaya

On his part, Mohammed Yahaya, who claimed to be son of a retired policeman, said he bought the uniform in Cotonou, Benin Republic.

Apparently showing remorse over his arrest, he said: “I admit I am wrong because I am not a Naval personnel. I only use the uniform whenever I am ridding my motorcycle so as not to be stopped by policemen. I bought the uniform for N3,500 in Cotonou and I started using it this year.

Asked why he did not use police uniform since he claimed his father was a retired policeman, he replied: “Ah, even policemen who ride Okada use military uniform. I believe it is because police usually arrest themselves. Besides, my father’s uniforms are old.”

But Aliu Jubril, the dismissed Naval rating, said he was just a victim of circumstance, maintaining that he was not directly involved.

He said: “I got a call from one Biu that my friend, Nasiru, was admitted at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Navy Town. I rushed there only to discover that he was arrested for impersonating a Naval rating.

“I never knew he was not a genuine rating. But there was a time I saw him in Army uniform and I cautioned him not to try it again if he did not want to be shown the way out as I was.

“I did not commit any criminal offence before I was dismissed from the Navy. It was just that I went for treatment for 29 days and when I came back, I was shown the way out.”

The suspects, according to Commodore Iliya, would be handed over to the Police for prosecution.