Navy alleges attack by illegal merchant body

Seafarers urge quick passage of bill
By Alex Olise

THE Nigerian Navy yesterday raised alarm that suspected members of an illegal merchant navy organisation had stormed the Presidential Liaison Office in Lagos and dislodged workers in the building.



http://odili.net/news/source/2009/nov/11/12.html

During the attack, which reportedly took place at the weekend, a lady who was said to be the head of the liaison office situated at No. 6, Force Road, Ikoyi, was allegedly brutalised.

The Director of Naval Information (DINFO), Commodore David Nabaida, who addressed journalists at the Western Naval Command, Apapa, yesterday confirmed that the attack was carried out by one of the fake merchant Navy organisations whose leader, based on intelligence report, had gone into hiding.

However, the Police and Navy had beefed up security at the Presidential Liaison Office.

The Naval spokesman said: "I am using this medium to alert members of the public not to submit to any naval personnel who tries to extort or harass the public. Please, you must demand for their identity cards and find out where they work. As trained personnel, our men have no business roaming the streets during the working hours."

He added that most of the men in naval uniform that gave escort to vehicles, especially those conveying goods from the borders, must be properly screened since no law allows any personnel on duty to leave his job to escort vehicles.

He said so far, the Nigerian Navy had discovered about 12 illegal merchant Navy organisations who are currently terrorising the country by using fake uniforms and identity cards.

According to him, the only recognised merchant Navy School is Nautical Merchant Navy School at Oron in Cross River State.

The men are well trained to accompany ships both within and outside the country shore.

The Guardian further learnt that what gave serious concern to the Nigerian Navy is the fact that one of the fake merchant Navy organisation is now wearing complete uniform with ranks similar to that of the Nigerian Navy.

The Navy image-maker further stated that the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Federal Ministry of Transport as well as other maritime agencies have disowned the illegal merchant navy organisations.

Meanwhile, the Commanding Officer, CONNS Beecroft Naval Base, Apapa, Commodore Obi Ozojiofore, who alongside the Naval spokesman raised the alarm, had also promised that his men would do everything possible to arrest any person that impersonates the Navy.

Meanwhile, the Director-General, Nigerian Merchant Navy Seafarers Maritime and Petroleum Security and Safety Corps (NMN), Commodore Allen Benson-Edema, has appealed to members of the Senate to expedite action on the passage of a bill recently sent to the National Assembly. It was not clear yesterday if Commodore Nabaida and Commodore Ozojiofore were referring to the NMN or another group.

Edema made the appeal in a statement made available to reporters through the Corps' Public Relations Officer, Sub-Lt. Ken-Peacemaker Onojah.

He said that the bill, if passed, would stop all illegal operations in the maritime and petroleum sectors in the country.

Edema, who is also the commandant of the corps, said officers and men of the corps are seasoned professionals who are trained to combat crimes in the maritime and allied sectors.

"In 2006, former President Olusegun Obasanjo charged NMN to start total reformation of our activities, with a view to bringing together all Nigerian seamen bodies under one umbrella. Hence our present programmes that provide training exercises for officers and men of the corps at our base at Owode-Egba in Ogun State," Edema noted.

Edema said besides providing security to Nigeria's territorial water, seamen and ships plying the country's sea, Nigerian Merchant Navy Corps also provides job opportunities to the teeming Nigerian youths.

He said about 5,000 unemployed youths and over 5,000 jobless seamen are undergoing training at the base, while recruitment for new intakes are still on.

According to the statement, reformation of Nigerian Merchant Navy Corps started in 2006 to begin full combat operation against criminal activities in the state of the federation where maritime and petroleum industries are in operation.

It added: "Later, a crisis ensued between the Nigerian Defence Navy (NN) and Nigerian Merchant Navy Corps over the right of existence.

"Subsequently, NN invaded NMN directorate headquarters at Onikan, Lagos, on December 24, 2007.

"This crisis was taken to the Federal High Court, Abuja and magistrate's courts at Yaba and Oyingbo in Lagos respectively, and they all passed favourable judgments that encourage the existence and reformation of the Nigerian Merchant Navy Corps.

"Against this background, a committee was set up by the National Assembly to look into the lingering crisis between the two bodies hence, a bill to further recognise the corps by President Umaru Yar'Adua was sent to the National Assembly.

"Nigerian Merchant Navy Corps was duly registered under relevant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with trademarks of her uniforms, badges, logos and other devices of the corps. In the countries of the world, you will find Merchant Navy that protect and guard their territorial waters, so Nigerian Merchant Navy Corps is an internationally recognised body", Edema submitted.

A whole military headquarters invaded by touts. Do we have defense at all?

I thought you meant ET (extraterrestial aliens)

SEFAGO:

I thought you meant ET (extraterrestial aliens)

me too

SEFAGO:

I thought you meant ET (extraterrestial aliens) 

Since we don't know them, that is what they are because no criminal in his right mind can invade a military station, assault their women and hope to get away with it. No wonder they call the navy, pus/sies.

Are they trying to privatize the navy? Cause this has propaganda written all over it. Soon we'll see some cooperation offering to manage the Nigerian navy and supply equipments. Maybe I'm right, maybe it's the weed.

I thought he was talking about ET too. I was going to rejoice cause we might learn from their technology if we truly contact these ETs. It'll be good for Nigeria if Aliens visit peacefully to teach us some Alien technology. I want real anti gravity cars like the ones in Wipeout HD not the crappy ones the Brits used balloons to float and still wouldn't fly to Timbuktu as they promised. What happened to the particle smasher? have they created a black hole or they were just bluffing?


SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

^^^man u too dey high. u are definitely using some expensive shit

9jaganja:

I thought he was talking about ET too. I was going to rejoice cause we might learn from their technology if we truly contact these ETs. It'll be good for Nigeria if Aliens visit peacefully to teach us some Alien technology. I want real anti gravity cars like the ones in Wipeout HD not the crappy ones the Brits used balloons to float and still wouldn't fly to Timbuktu as they promised. What happened to the particle smasher? have they created a black hole or they were just bluffing?


SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

Guy u're on some serious shit.
If ETs was ever to come to Africa, esp. Nigeria, you're all gonna die.

SEFAGO:

I thought you meant ET (extraterrestial aliens)

Me too. I tot it was the martians .

If ETs was ever to come to Africa, esp. Nigeria, you're all gonna die.

yes ooo. And if they even come dey no go miss road and land in nigeria when south africa is there and even neighboring Ghana. You want yahoo yahoo boys for lagos to hack into their system and steal their alien mastercard credit card information

OK OK OK

Who is the real Nigerian Navy sailor and who is the fake? LOL

nellaluv:

Guy u're on some serious shit.
If ETs was ever to come to Africa, esp. Nigeria, you're all gonna die.

Me too. I tot it was the martians .

LOL

a beg no be the same navy dey make ship disappear or missing for dem korokoro eyes. Na wetin be dem job self?, just sidon for barrack dey shag dem wives. Yeye people. No wonder all of them dey get pot belly.