The Nigerian Navy (NN) has raised concern over the proliferation of fake maritime security outfits using uniforms and accoutrements semblance of the navy in the South-South.
The Director of Information, NN, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, in a statement in Abuja, described the outfits as fake and illegal.
Ayo-Vaughan said the impostors and self-acclaimed maritime security outfits made use of naval uniforms and accoutrements to deceive, harass, intimidate and defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
He said that some of the outfits would go as far as selling recruitment forms to the public and even conduct secret recruitment exercises and training.
According to him, the activities of those impostors and miscreants are on the rise, notwithstanding the proscription order of the Federal Government official Gazette No. 58 Vol 100 titled “the Dissolution and Proscription of Certain Associations Order, 2013” banning all such firms/outfits.
“The Order in Paragraph 2 states that ‘As from the commencement of this Order, the dissolved and proscribed associations shall not be formed into any new associations by whatever name or title, within the meaning of this Order.
“Suffice to state that the NN in the past, had arrested and handed over for prosecution, members of some of these outlawed organisations.
“Nevertheless, their illegal activities have continued unabated in some parts of the country, particularly the South-South geopolitical zone.”
Naval spokesperson said some proscribed maritime outfits operating illegally in the nation were Nigerian Merchant Navy, Nigerian Merchant Navy Coastal Defence Force and Nigerian Coast Guard, Merchant Navy Maritime Academy.
Others, according to him, are the Nigerian Merchant Navy Coast Guard Security and Safety Corps, Maritime Security Agency as well as Nigerian Maritime Law Enforcement Agency, amongst others.
