12 arrested as JTF burst fake coast guard centre in A’Ibom
The Joint Task Force has uncovered an alleged illegal recruitment and training centre in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, arresting 12 people suspected to be linked to the operation.
The suspects were arrested on Monday during a joint operation involving personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship JUBILEE, Headquarters 2 Brigade/Operation THUNDER, 6 Battalion of the Nigerian Army and the Violent Crime Response Unit of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command.
Etim Ekpimah
The Joint Task Force has uncovered an alleged illegal recruitment and training centre in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, arresting 12 people suspected to be linked to the operation.
The suspects were arrested on Monday during a joint operation involving personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship JUBILEE, Headquarters 2 Brigade/Operation THUNDER, 6 Battalion of the Nigerian Army and the Violent Crime Response Unit of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command.
The operation followed intelligence that individuals were being recruited as provisional cadets of a purported Nigeria Coast Guard Academy at Uwa West in Essien Udim.
Acting on the intelligence, the joint security team raided the Merchant Seaman Academy in the area, which was allegedly being used as a recruitment and training venue for the purported organisation.
Twelve suspects were arrested during the operation. They comprised six people suspected of running the scheme, five recruits or trainees and one cadet of the Merchant Seaman Academy.
The suspects were subsequently handed over to the VCRU of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The operation highlights growing concerns over fraudulent recruitment schemes in which unsuspecting members of the public are allegedly lured with promises of employment or training in security and paramilitary organisations.
Security agencies have repeatedly warned members of the public to verify recruitment announcements and the status of institutions before paying fees or submitting personal information.
The latest operation also underscores the importance of intelligence sharing and coordinated action among security agencies, particularly in detecting schemes that could expose members of the public to financial exploitation or other risks.
The police are expected to determine the identities of those behind the alleged recruitment scheme, establish how long it had operated and ascertain the circumstances surrounding the recruitment and training of the alleged cadets.
