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| Chief of naval staff, vice admiral dele Ezeoba |
The fake officer was said to have been parading himself as the Commanding Officer, NNS Pathfinder in Port Harcourt, when he was paid full compliments befitting his rank by naval ratings at Liverpool, Apapa area of the state.
While warning that the naval authorities would no longer tolerate the abuse of its uniform by persons who are not naval personnel, the Executive Officer, NNS Beecroft, Captain James Pindar, said the fake officer was even found with Nigerian Navy identity card.
This warning came in the wake of several recent arrests of persons who dorn the naval uniform and rank, impersonating officers of the force and sometimes defrauding innocent citizens with the military regalia.
Pindar said the naval authorities were forced to begin a clampdown of such impersonators in order to protect the citizenry who might be deceived by such uniforms and do business with the fake officers.
It was gathered that the fake officer was spotted by a naval rating at Liverpool and was immediately paid full compliments to as befitting the rank of a commander.
But the rating's suspicion was aroused when the supposed commander fumbled when responding to the salute, prompting the rating to inquire as to his identity. When the impersonator could not properly identify himself, the rating was said to have called for backup and apprehended the fake commander who at that point now claimed to be the commander of a naval unit in Port Harcourt.
He was then taken to the holding cell of NNS Beecroft where he admitted that he was not a naval personnel, rather, got the uniform and accoutrement from a serving personnel of the force.
Speaking,the suspect said he claimed to be a commanding officer in order to evade arrest by the naval ratings.
He said, “I said that to save myself from the beating I was receiving from the ratings and just as I said that, the beating reduced and I was later brought to the NNS Beecroft cell where I was detained.
"But I belong to the Nigerian Merchant Navy with our office located at 24 Palace Road in Olodi Apapa. I did not impersonate a naval officer rather a serving personnel in the navy gave me the uniform."
But Pindar said that apart from being dressed in a full naval commander's outfit, they found the NN Identity card pouch, stickers and other items, adding that even the shirt buttons, rank and crest were the navy's.
He said, "With his full regalia belonging to the NN including the buttons on his shirt, rank and crest, unsuspecting members of the public could mistake him for a real naval officer.
"During our interrogation, he had confessed that he purchased the naval accoutrement from a serving personnel of force. We will hand the suspect to the police for prosecution.
"We are warning members of the public nursing the ambition to dress in our uniforms to desist as the force would ensure that the full weight of the law would run its course."
On the suspect's claim that he belonged to the Merchant Navy, Pindar said the only institution authorised to train the merchant personnel is the Maritime Academy in Oron, adding the public should be wary of all other groups claiming to train or run a merchant navy outfit.
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