Navy Embarks on Massive Crackdown on Impostors, Fake Operators of Maritime Security Firms

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

The Nigerian Navy (NN) has embarked on a massive crackdown on impostors who are using naval uniforms and accoutrements to deceive, harass, intimidate and defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

The. Naval Director of Information (DINFO), Commodore Christian Ezekobe, stated on Tuesday that the mandate to ensure that any impostor does not go scot-free emanates from the fact that several cases of security breaches and criminal activities involving fake naval personnel have been reported by victims of these unauthorised and largely proscribed maritime outfits.

Ezekobe listed these outfits to include Nigerian Merchant Marine, Nigerian Merchant Navy Corps, Global College of Marine and Technology, Merchant Navy Maritime Academy as well as Nigeria Merchant Navy and Maritime Law Enforcement Agency, among others.

He stated that in view of the fragile security situation in the country, particularly in the Niger Delta area, the activities of these illegal and proscribed maritime security organisations are posing great danger to the frantic efforts by the Nigerian Navy and sister security services to mitigate the security challenges in the country.

Consequently, he said, operatives of the Nigerian Navy in conjunction with other security agencies have maintained red alert vigilance to ensure that the naval impostors are promptly apprehended.