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Tag: Commodore Julius Nwagu

  • 2019: Navy cautions public to be wary of fake military personnel

    Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory, in Calabar, Cross River State, Commodore Julius Nwagu, has cautioned members of the public to be wary of fake military personnel, especially as the general elections in the country draws close.

    Nwagu, while parading a suspected fake naval officer, James Solomon Nkanu, at the NNS Victory Headquarters in Calabar on Friday, urged the public to report any of such impostors to the security agencies for appropriate action.

    “The Nigerian Navy Ship Victory remains committed to the fight against all forms of criminalities in her area of operations. Besides the Bases’ zero tolerance stance for crude oil theft and smuggling through the waterways, the Base has also intensified efforts towards arresting suspected impersonators and racketeers who go around extorting money from unsuspecting members of the public in the guise of being Navy personnel.

    “In this wise, Mr James Solomon Nkanu, aged 25, was arrested on Wednesday 23 Jan 19 at Eta Agbor, Calabar, by men of NNS Victory for an alleged case of impersonation. Aside being dressed in Navy camouflage, he was caught in possession of fake Nigerian Navy identity card, copies of NN recruitment forms and credentials of suspected victims as well as three different ATM cards belonging to himself and two other suspected accomplices.

    Read Also: Oil theft: Navy hands over 19 suspects, 21 Boats to EFCC

    “He even claimed to be operating from the office of the Chief of the Naval Staff in Calabar, which is not true. Prior to his arrest, the suspect an acclaimed final year student of the Cross River State University of Science and technology (CRUTECH) was alleged to have paraded himself as midshipman (a naval officer) in the Nigerian Navy. Surprisingly, even his family members thought he was a naval personnel on study leave. The suspect during interrogation voluntarily confessed to the alleged offences.

    “During preliminary investigations, it was revealed that the suspect procured a fake NN Identity card from a business centre at Eta Agbor, hence, my men had to go after the operators of the business centre. Consequently, the computer set used for the production of the fake NN Identiy Card was confiscated as exhibit in support of the case against the suspect.

    “Let me use this opportunity to assure members of the public that the NN does not charge a dime for its recruitment exercise. Therefore anybody demanding for money so as to assist in NN recruitment is an impostor. Similarly you are enjoined to be wary of fake military personnel especially during the forthcoming general elections. Please, you are requested to report any of such imposters to the security agencies for appropriate action.

    “In line with extant regulations, the suspect would be handed over the Nigeria Police for necessary action. It is hoped that the suspect would be prosecuted to serve as deterrent to other persons with criminal tendencies,” Nwagu said.

    Nkanu, who said he was from Abi local government area of Cross River State, expressed remorse for his actions.

  • Navy seizes contraband rice worth N247.9m in Calabar 

    The Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Victory of the Nigerian Navy in Calabar, Cross River State, says it has seized 15, 162 bags of foreign parboiled rice worth N247, 905, 000 since February this year.

    Commander NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, who disclosed this while handing over 719 bags of the contraband rice and six suspects to the Nigeria Customs Service at the Victory jetty in Calabar, said they were arrested in a large wooden boat, around the Oron-Ibaka waterfront.

    He said the 719 bags were valued at N16.5 million at N16, 000 per bag street rice.

    Read Also: We are not abetting rice smugglers- FRSC

    “What is important is the fight the Nigerian Navy has instituted in ensuring that the policy of the Federal Government that local farming and production of rice should be sustained. And in doing that in accordance with our policing roles, we have intensified patrols on our waters to ensure that the FG policy stands. And we are not relenting.

    “We have even gone a stage further now to writing individuals that these suspects mention. Talking about the main owners of the rice. We have written to them inviting them for an interview if they fail to appear, we are going to declare them wanted. That is the extent we are going to carry out this drive in ensuring that FG policies are not just swept under the carpet.

    “As a responsible service, the Nigerian Navy is putting in a lot in ensuring that our maritime domain capability and maritime corridors and well protected and people go about their legitimate businesses. Those who want to get themselves involved in illegality we would make sure we clip their wings,” Nwagu said.

  • Navy seizes N46m worth of contraband rice in Bakassi

    Men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory, Calabar, have seized 3039 bags of contraband foreign rice worth about N46 million in Bakassi local government area of Cross River State.

    Commander of NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, who said the seizure is the largest so far by the Navy in the State, pledged they will continue to add momentum to the war against importation of foreign rice.

    Nwagu said as part of the fight, they will soon move into the markets to mop up foreign rice.

    Conducting reporters round the seized items at the Government Warehouse, Customs Yard in Calabar, Nwagu said was smuggled into Nigeria from Cameroon through Effiong Nsung community in Bakassi.

    “The Navy apprehended one Lawrence Onaka alongside 3039 bags of rice, four trucks used in conveying the rice alongside four outboard engines and those goods alongside the suspect have been handed over to the officials of the NIgerian customs service.The value of the rice is about 46 million” he said.

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    The Commander said that the Navy has zero tolerance for all forms of criminality in the nation’s waterways and will continue to collaborate with sister security agencies to fight such illegalities.

    “This is the first time the Nigerian Navy has extended its tentacles to the Bakassi waters and we are going to sustain it. I want to use this opportunity to advise our traders that sooner than later we are going to move into the market shop by shop to get every foreign rice because they are banned. The Navy will continue to ensure that we implement governments policies and there is no going back on it,” Nwagu said.

    Some of the seized bags of rice at Government Warehouse, Customs Yard in Calabar.
    Some of the seized bags of rice at Government Warehouse, Customs Yard in Calabar.

    Speaking while receiving the suspect as well as the items, the Assistant Controller of Customs, Eastern Marine Command, Joshua Omachi, said the Command will continue partnering with sister agencies to end the problem of smuggling.

    He said so far this year, about 14,000 bags of 50kg parboiled rice have been seized in the state and reaffirmed the determination of the command to end all forms of criminalities.

    He disclosed that as soon as investigations are completed the suspect will be charged to court and the goods will be forfeited.

    The suspect, Lawrence Omaka, said he got into the business in order to feed his children.

     

     

  • ‘We will wipe out rice smugglers’

    Commander of the Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Calabar, Cross River State, Commodore Julius Nwagu, has vowed to wipe out smugglers of contraband foreign rice along the Calabar waterways.

    Nwagu, who has made several arrests in the past few weeks, made the vow yesterday when he handed over five suspected smugglers and 174 bags of imported rice to the Nigeria Customs Service for further investigation and prosecution.

    He said, “We are here to handover 174 bags of smuggled rice and from Cameroon by smugglers that we caught trying to smuggle the rice into Calabar. In accordance with our established procedures, we are handing over the 174 bags worth about N2.8m and the five persons we have arrested to Nigeria Customs Service for proper investigation.

    “They should know that the Nigerian Navy is ready to arrest them at anytime. The maritime domain awareness capability of the Navy is up and running. There is no hiding place in our maritime environment for any type of crime to succeed and we are ready to tackle illegality to any level in the Eastern Naval Command.

    “They will continue to lose their money in this illegality. We are steps ahead of whatever they are doing. We are going to go for the main culprits, those who sponsor these crimes. I am sure we would soon parade them. We are ready to continue to arrest them and send them to the appropriate authority that will prosecute them.”

    Receiving the suspects and items, an Assistant Controller of Customs in charge of the Eastern Marine Command base in Calabar, Mr. Omachi Joshua, said the items will be taken to government warehouse while investigation would commence.

     

  • Navy seizes 2, 860 bags of contraband rice worth over N50m

    …Arrests five in Calabar

     

    Men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Calabar have arrested a large wooden boat laden with 2, 860 bags of contraband foreign rice, worth over N50 million naira, as well as five suspects.

    Commander, NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, who paraded the suspects and seized items in Calabar Wednesday, said the arrest was made along the Calabar Channel by the anti-smuggling patrol of the base when they got intelligence reports about the activities of the suspected smugglers.

    Nwagu, who was represented by the Executive Officer of NNS Victory, Navy Captain Babafemi Ajayi, said the boat was suspected to have come in Cameroon and headed for Calabar.

    He said, “The boat was hidden with the intention that when it is dark, then they can use smaller boats to evacuate the products into their warehouse in Calabar. We stationed our patrolmen in that particular area and luckily we saw the five men when they wanted to carry out their assignment. They were arrested and further findings revealed their warehouse which when we got there, we discovered the consignments. So we evacuated everything here and escorted the boat to NNS Victory jetty.

    Read Also:Nigerian Navy, others join forces against pirates, maritime criminals

    “Totally we evacuated 2860 bags of foreign rice. In compliance to the extant rules everything has to be handed over to the Nigerian Customs Service for further prosecution.

    “We warn all smugglers to desist. The money wasted on this is a great loss and the Navy is bent is on ensuring that problem is stopped in the country. We implore these people to look for something else to do instead of this because it would not get them anywhere. We are resolved that we shall not allow this to persist within our area of responsibility. They would be the losers at the end.”

    Assistant Controller of Customs, Omachi Joshua, representing the Eastern Marine Command based in Calabar, who received the items and suspects said the items would take to the government warehouse and the suspects would be prosecuted according to laid down rules.

    “The bags of rice are subsequently forfeited to the Federal Government and they would take the matter to court for condemnation and whatever the government issues is what we would follow,” he said.

  • Navy seizes 3, 574 bags of contraband rice worth N53.6m

    Navy seizes 3, 574 bags of contraband rice worth N53.6m

    Men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Calabar have arrested a large wooden boat laden with 3,574 bags of contraband foreign rice smuggled from Cameroon, worth N53.6 million naira, as well as three suspects.

    Commander, NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, said the arrest was made along the Calabar Waterway in the early hours of February 27 when they got information about the activities of the suspected smugglers.

    He said the boat came from Cameroon and was headed for Calabar.

    Addressing reporters at NNS Victory jetty before handing over the items and suspects to the Nigerian Customs Service, Nwagu said, “In the early hours of 27th February, we got information about a boat laden with rice and my patrol team arrested the boat and three suspects on the boat. We brought the boat to base and offloaded the rice. It took us two and a half days to offload. After counting, we got 3, 574 bags valued at N53. 6 million. We would hand them over to the Nigerian Customs Service for further investigation and prosecution.

    “I want to tell general public that the Nigerian Navy under the leadership of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ekwe Ibas will not leave any stone unturned in pursuing those involved in any form of criminality, and we in the Eastern Naval Command, particularly NNS Victory are all out to fight criminality at any level.

    “We are aware of government policies and restrictions on foreign rice. We have arrested the people involved in economic sabotage and we are going to continue arresting them. So I advise the general public to do what is right. I warn that anyone who indulges in such, we are going to catch them. They cannot escape our watchful eyes.”

    The Calabar Area Assistant Comptroller of Customs Customs, Omachi Joshua, who received the items and suspects, appreciated the Navy for their effort.

    He said the rice would be evacuated to the government warehouse of the Customs Area Command in Calabar, while the suspects would be prosecuted.

    One of the suspects, Moses Azazi, from Bayelsa State said they were aware they had contraband on board.

    “We were bringing the rice from Cameroon and were arrested by the Navy. We were aware it was contraband. I don’t know the owner of the rice. We were just asked to transport it to Calabar from Kondo in Cameroon to Calabar. This is my first time,” he said.

    Read Also:Navy impounds 5.790m litres of crude, arrest 11 suspects