The arrest of merchant navy trainees

LAST week, the Lagos State Police Command arrested 107 suspects at a training camp located in the Sandfields area of  Ogudu, Lagos. The Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, said inter alia while parading the suspects during a press conference: “There has been credible, actionable intelligence on the illegal activities of the merchant navy, following which the command embarked on intensive surveillance on the camp and its activities therein. Consequent upon intensive monitoring of the camp and its operators, the command carried out a well-coordinated overt operation at the training camp in the early hours of today.”

The police boss added that during the raid, his men recovered several military accoutrements, including camouflage badges of ranks, flags, signboards and ID cards from the suspects. Other items recovered included recruitment letters, two motorcycles, one plasma TV, three cutlasses, and  “criminal charms”. The portrait of the commanding officer of the merchant navy, Ichuhu Ababa, a commodore, was retrieved from the training centre. The police boss said that despite being outlawed, the group had operated a military outfit, giving military training to unsuspecting young Nigerians. Also known as the Coastal Defense Force, the Nigerian Merchant Navy has, according to reports, been operating since 2005.

To be sure, the prospect of confronting the fallouts of the criminal activities of the operators of the merchant navy who are training unsuspecting young Nigerians while the country is still battling terrorists and bandits occupying forests and highways is really scary. It would be careless, not to say naive, for the Nigerian State to permit such a dangerous mix to persist in the face of the current dire security situation.

The point has to be noted, however, that those who were paraded last week by the Lagos State Police Command were only minions. In the words of the CP, they are unsuspecting young Nigerians. That being the case, the police need to track down the operators of the illegal outfit. If despite the 2017 raid on its camp in Ogun State the illegal outfit still persisted until last week, then the security agencies, particularly the police, have serious questions to answer. It takes state diffidence, condonance or complicity for illegal outfits to thrive. It would be appropriate to ask the police to show Nigerians evidence of the prosecution of the operators of the illegal outfit who were arrested before now. If those individuals were not prosecuted then, there is very little grounds to assume that last week’s incident is anything beyond noise. Certainly, the recalcitrance of the operators signifies their (forlorn?) hope that they could prise due recognition out of the Nigerian State.

Therefore, the Lagos Police Command must carry out a thorough investigation of the matter in a bid to unravel the brains behind the outfit. Long before now, the Nigerian Navy declared members of the outfit as impersonators and it is troubling that they have been able to survive for so long. The police have to resolve the issue permanently. A paramilitary group unknown to law has no business existing in a modern state.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Viral Voice Note On WhatsApp Billing False

Claim: A viral WhatsApp voice note, purportedly made by the director and CEO of WhatsApp, claims users will have to start paying for WhatsApp services.

Verdict: The viral WhatsApp voice note claim is a hoax. The content is not new and has been circulated as a broadcast message several times in the past.

Experts Say Mixture Of Snail Slime, Evaporated Milk Cannot Cure Stroke

CLAIM: A Facebook user claims water gotten from snails (snail slime) and peak milk can cure partial or full stroke.

VERDICT: The claim that water gotten from snails (snail slime) and peak milk can cure partial or full stroke is false.

FULL STORY: On July 26, 2020, a Facebook user, Prince Nnamdi Enyinnaya Emelelu Eluwa, in a post claimed that water gotten from snails (Snail slime) and peak milk can cure partial or full stroke. The post which is over a year old has recently been reshared by other Facebook users.

Marburg Virus: What You Need To Know About Disease Recently Detected In West Africa

On Monday, August 9, 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed the first case of Marburg virus in West Africa in Guinea. This development has sent shivers down the spines of West Africans who are still grappling with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. But before this dreaded disease is greeted by rumours and misinformation, here is what you have to know about the virus.APC states to establish Health Emergency Trust Fund…

FACT CHECK: US Did Not Give Nigeria 48 Hours Ultimatum To Detain Abba Kyari

CLAIM: Several social media posts claim the United States of America (USA) gave Nigeria’s Federal Government 48 hours to detain suspended Deputy Police Commissioner, Abba Kyari, or face severe sanctions.

VERDICT: The claim is false and misleading. The US did not give Nigerian Federal Government 48 hours ultimatum to detain Abba Kyari.