The Nigerian Navy said it has uncovered an illegal naval training school based at Wiiyaakara Community, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, used by suspected criminals to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

The Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship Jubilee, Calabar, Commodore Saidu Garba, made the declaration on Friday while parading six illegal operators of the school and four trainees to journalists at the base of the illegal school in Wiiyaakara community, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers.

The illegal training school is named the Nigerian Merchant Navy Coastal Defence Force. According to Garba, the school paraded itself as an affiliate naval training centre which specialised in recruitment and training of trainees for direct entry into the Nigerian Navy.

He said, “On January 9 during a routine patrol, troops of NNS Jubilee came across a sign post bearing the name: Nigerian Merchant Navy Coastal Defence Force situated in Wiiyaakara Community in Khana LGA.

“On further search, our patrol team found out that the illegal organisation used a Model Primary school in Wiiyaakara community as its training centre. The school conducts training for youths and at the end of the training send them out in the name of industrial attachment to so called naval organisations.”

Garba said they suspect that operators of the school use the facility to recruit and train youths for militancy. Items recovered from the suspects included military camouflage and accoutres, and a self-styled “obstacle-crossing” used by the military in training of personnel.

One of the suspects James Otoko admitted the school was illegal and pleaded for leniency from government. The 10 suspects were handed over to the Rivers Police command for further investigation and possible prosecution.

It was gathered that the training school sold forms for recruitment between the sum of N100,000 to N300,000 with many said to have participated in the training programme. (TV360 Nigeria)

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