The Nigerian Navy Ship NNS VICTORY has arrested and handed over two men suspected of impersonating naval personnel to the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigeria Police Force in Calabar for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The suspects, David Norbert Aleji and Francis Gideon Isaac, were arrested on 10 March 2026 after they were spotted wearing military camouflage uniforms and carrying suspected fake military identification cards.
In a statement on Monday, the spokesperson for NNS VICTORY, Lieutenant Commander Suleiman Bala, said preliminary investigations showed that Aleji allegedly posed as a Nigerian Navy lieutenant while Isaac claimed to be a midshipman. Both men falsely stated they were serving aboard NNS SAGBAMA.
Aleji, who reportedly received some training at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria in Oron, Akwa Ibom State, is believed to be the mastermind of the scheme and had recruited Isaac, who lives with him.
A search of their residence led to the recovery of additional military items, including a jungle hat and a pair of boots. The suspects reportedly confessed to buying the uniforms and accessories and fabricating the identification cards themselves.
The Nigerian Navy reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the integrity of the service and urged members of the public to report any cases of impersonation to the authorities, warning that such acts damage the reputation of the navy and constitute serious criminal offences.
Both suspects remain in police custody pending further action.