Navy nabs, hands fake officer to Police
… 23 suspected ‘oil thieves’ to EFCC
The fake officer had been apprehended, having aroused the suspicion of a certain female naval rating from the NNS Delta after he introduced himself as Captain Dantata.
The naval rating was said to have probed the suspected impostor, who was subsequently taken to the Naval Base for further questioning where he owned up that he was not a naval officer.
He was later handed over to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for prosecution.
Area Commander, Warri, Delta State Police Command, Assistant Commissioner of Police Hussaini Rabiu, explained that the suspect was arrested by the Navy on December 30, 2012.
He said that the suspect gave his name as Hassan Idareh, but that the name on his fake Navy identity card was Captain Hassan Dantata.
“What I am saying is that, from all indication, the man has never been a naval officer, but fake.
We are charging him to court today (Monday). You can imagine how many unsuspecting public he may have defrauded,” Rabiu said.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Navy on Monday handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) 23 suspects arrested with their vessels by the Naval Central Command.
According to the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Naval Central Command, Rear Admiral Johnson Olutoyin, the suspects, comprising of 12 foreigners and 11 Nigerians, were allegedly arrested for different offences that contravened guidelines of vessels operating in Nigeria territorial waters.
Olutoyin, while handing over the suspects to EFCC officials in Yenagoa, Bayelsa, said that 12 of the suspects, 10 Indians and two Nigerians were allegedly arrested by the NNS Predator, while on routine patrol of Brass.
He said that the suspects, who were allegedly on board the MT Akshay formerly known asWine Trader were arrested off the Sangana River.
Olutoyin said that, upon questioning, the Nigerians allegedly could not identify themselves and they were considered as suspects with their foreign collaborators.
He said that the product onboard the seized ship, 157, 822 litres of crude oil, was suspected to be stolen, as the vessel allegedly was not listed in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Tanker Nomination Schedule, adding that she did not have the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) Bunkering Permit and the Joint Task Force (Operation Pulo Shield) Certificate of Registration for vessels engaged in movement of crude oil.
On the other suspects, Olutoyin said that the NN Forward Operating Base (FOB) Formosoallegedly intercepted and arrested MT Eve along the Akassa River.
Olutoyin, who pointed out that MT Eve had the Naval Headquarters approval for oil movement, said it was arrested for allegedly not abiding with the content/context of the approval.
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