The Nigerian Navy has arrested three persons planning to use the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla’s pictures to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.
The suspects identified as Oladele Opeyemi Daniel, 23, Eriwole Ogunlana, 24, and Mubarak Mayegun, 24, were accused of planning to use the images to create an impression that their security outfit, Gallantry Intelligence Corps of Nigeria was in partnership with the Nigerian Navy.
The Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft, Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga, in a statement on Tuesday, said the suspects were arrested during a patrol in Isolo, Lagos, on September 1, following reports of their fraudulent activities.
He added that the suspects were on Tuesday, handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti for further investigation.
Oguntuga said, “In a significant development to prevent swindling the general public, the Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft patrol team apprehended three impostors within the vicinity of Isolo, Lagos State.
“This operation, conducted on 1 September 2023, was initiated in response to alarming reports of fraudulent individuals featuring the image of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral EI Ogalla, in printed posters being circulated. The impostors sought to deceive the public into believing that there exists a false collaboration between an illegal security outfit, tagged Gallantry Intelligence Corps of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Navy.
“The arrested suspects were identified as Oladele Opeyemi Daniel (23), Eriwole Ogunlana (24) and Mubarak Mayegun (24). The suspects have been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti on Tuesday, September 5, for in-depth investigation and prosecution.”
He, however, urged Nigerians to be mindful of dishonest elements trying to defraud them of their hard-earned money.
“The Nigerian Navy appeals to the public to be cautious of unscrupulous elements, who want to inflict unnecessary hardship by using unpleasant means to lure innocent youths to commit resources for illegitimate employment, ” Oguntuga said.