Navy Claims Plot Uncovered

The Nigerian Navy yesterday said it had uncovered a plot by a group of retired officers to destabilise the government from one of its barracks in Lagos. The naval authorities did not reveal details of the threat but said that the group, allegedly led by two retired naval officers in Lagos, had been going round some naval formations, particularly, the Nigerian Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos, to “poison” the minds of other naval personnel. This, it alleged, could lead to the breach of security in the country if not checked.

The Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Navy Captain Henry Babalola, who made the allegation, told THISDAY that it was that singular act that made the naval authorities in Abuja to order the ejection of all retired officers from barracks at the weekend. Babalola stated that contrary to rumours making the rounds that the ejection of some retired officers from the barracks was borne out of witchhunt, “those affected were trying to destabilise the system by making statements that were detrimental to the unity of the country”.

The naval spokesman said the allegation that the ejection of the officers was based on witch hunt of the affected people was sheer misinformation and an attempt to whip up “unnecessary sentiments” in favour of the affected people. Babalola said that the naval authorities were constrained to effect the ejection of the affected officers because they (the retired officers) had failed to yield to many entreaties from Abuja that they should vacate their respective apartments after the expiration of the permitted period for them to stay in the barracks.

According to him, rather than obey the directive, the affected officers started to engage themselves in “discussions” that could course a “breach of peace” in the barracks. “The retired officers had spent 19 months in the barracks, and the rule says that they could only stay for three months after retirement since all their benefits and entitlements had been fully paid,” he said. Babalola stated that the affected officers “are no longer under any authority and as such are security risks to serving officers and personnel”.

The affected officers had been causing disaffections in the barracks among serving officers and rank and file with their utterances and behaviours, he said.Justifying the action of Naval Headquarters, Babalola said that there are several serving officers without accommodation in the barracks “because the Federal Government’s policy on sale of houses affected them”. He maintained that the allegation that the Naval Headquarters are out to witch hunt the affected officers who are still nursing misgivings over their retirements does not arise.

There were no court injunctions restraining the Nigerian Navy from ejecting them, he said.Babalola urged Nigerians not to be misled by the affected officers and their cohorts in believing that they were being unduly treated. Some senior naval officers had been retired after the Naval Headquarters reportedly discovered that they were involved in illegal bunkering on the nation’s waterways.

(This Day)