The Nigerian Navy (NN) has arrested one Grace Elijah for defrauding 13 Nigerians, the sum of N1.4m through false presence, to facilitate their enlistment into the Service.
The Navy arrested the suspects alongside other accomplices on May 9, at the Landmark Hotel, Trailer Park in Eleme Local Government Area of River State.
“Mrs Grace Elijah is a member of a syndicate that collected the sum of N1,400,000 from 13 civilians with a promise to facilitate their participation in the recently concluded Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC) 29 Selection Board Exercise,” Navy disclosed late Thursday night.
The statement signed by its Director of Information, Commodore Adams Aliu, said the suspects had been handed over to the Nigeria Police and will be prosecuted accordingly.
Expressing its concerns over the situation, the Navy further warned against falling prey to suspected fraudsters impersonating the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla on Facebook and other social media handles.
The statement read partly, “It is pertinent to state that the CNS does not have a Facebook account, thus any account found in his name is fake and should be reported via Facebook/meta mechanism.
“These deceitful practices exploit the aspirations of job seekers hence it is important for Nigerians to exercise caution and vigilance when seeking recruitment/enlistment to the NN.
“The public is also to note that authentic recruitment/enlistment processes by the NN are conducted through official channels and are well-publicised through reputable media platforms, including the official website of the NN (www.navy.mil.ng).
“For emphasis, please note that recruitment/enlistment into the NN is completely free and the NN will never ask any candidate to make any form of monetary payment throughout the entire process.”