Three persons suspected of impersonating themselves as personnel of Nigerian Navy (NN) and Department of State Services (DSS) have been arrested at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The three suspects were arrested within the departure hall of International wing of the airport last Wednesday and yesterday (Sunday) by vigilant security operatives at the international airport.
African Business Travel News (ABTN) reliably gathered that the arrest of the suspected fake naval personnel was ordered by a senior military Officer who he snubbed and refused to give his full compliments even as the officer was standing directly before him.
The senior Officer who was not satisfied with the conduct of a military personnel in uniform towards a senior officer also in uniform ordered that the suspect should be arrested and interrogated.
It was during interrogation, the suspect confessed that he got the military uniform he wore from a military personnel serving in the North Western part of the country.
He was said to have been handed over to the Nigerian Navy for further profiling.
According to our sources: ” The suspect was ordered to be arrested by a senior military Officer who thought he was just exhibiting an act of indiscipline and insurbordination to a senior officer in uniform.”
“But when he was subjected to serious interrogation,” another source added, “he was discovered not to be a personnel of any of the military services in Nigeria.
“Realising the the game was over for him, during the interrogation, the suspect started begging for leniency and confessed that he got the uniform he wore from a military personnel serving in the North Western part of the country.
They have transferred him to the Nigerian Navy for further investigation and action.”
In related development, problem started for the two suspected fake DSS operatives arrested in the departure hall of the International wing of the Lagos airport on Sunday when one of them was caught, around 1.00pm making video recordings of activities going on in the terminal.
According to our sources, the suspect was accosted by security men on duty and requested to produce his permit to carry out video recordings in the airport terminal.
He was immediately arrested when he couldn’t produce anything to show that he had such permission of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
When he was about to be taken away by security officials on duty, he called on his partner who was standing somewhere within the terminal, to secure his release.
In attempt to secure the release of the suspect, the accomplice claimed they were operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) on special duties in the airport.
When they were asked to identify themselves, one of them brought out an identity card purportedly issued by DSS and which where later found to be fake.
The two suspects were subsequently arrested, interrogated and later transferred to appropriate security agency for further investigations.
However, efforts by our correspondent to get further information on the arrests from the new Police Public Relations Officer of Airport Command of Nigeria Police Force, Ola Ojelade, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, (DSP) proved futile as he said he was not aware of such arrests.
He however promised to give a feedback whenever he has sufficient information on the arrests.
As at the time of filling this report, no feedback has been received.
