The Lagos state police command has arrested 108 suspects impersonating as officers of the Nigerian Navy.
The state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, said the suspects were arrested during a raid on their training camp in the Ogudu-Sanfield area of the state on Wednesday.
The commanding officer of the camp, who is also suspected to be the ring leader, Sunday Dakare, was also arrested. It was discovered the imposters were operating under the name of the Nigerian Merchant Navy, also called the Coastal Defence.
Odumosu said: “On November 10, 2021, around 11am, the Lagos State Police Command raided the illegal training camp of the Merchant Navy located in the Ogudu-Sandfield area, Lagos State, and arrested the Commanding Officer, Sunday Dakare, 47, together with 107 suspects currently on training.
“I wish to inform you that there has been credible actionable intelligence on the illegal activities of the Merchant Navy following which the command embarked on intensive surveillance of the camp and its activities therein. Consequent upon intensive monitoring of the camp and its operators, the command carried out a well-coordinated overt operation at the training camp in the early hours of today.
“During the raid, which was coordinated by the operations department of the command, the following items were recovered: several military accoutrements, including camouflage badges of ranks, a flag, a signboard and ID cards. Other items recovered include recruitment letters, promotion letters, a portrait of the commanding officer, two motorcycles, one plasma TV, three cutlasses, criminal charms and other items.”
Odumusu stated that the Federal Government had outlawed the Nigerian Merchant Navy, and members of the public should be on sensitive of people posing as uniform men.
He said the police, however, discovered that the group had been operating illegally since 2005.
“This trend portends danger for our nation and a threat to peace and security. It, therefore, behoves us as a law enforcement agency to enforce the law banning activities of the illegal military outfit. I want to use this medium to warn other individuals or groups still operating such illegal outfits in any part of the state to close it forthwith.
“The police will not hesitate to clamp down on them and their operators and bring them to book,” he added.
One of the suspects, Kehinde Islamiat, said her father asked her to join the operation.
She said: “I don’t know how much was paid; I am not even sure he paid and I have been with them for seven months. We are still expecting the Federal Government to pay our salary. Everything about this stuff is online; we are expecting the government to answer our prayers for our rifles and patrol vans.”
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