The Nigerian Navy Ship Jubilee, Ikot Abasi, says it has shut an illegal maritime institution, Merchant Seaman Academy, at Uwa West in Essien Udim Local Government of Akwa Ibom State.
The Navy in a statement made available to theportcitynews said the Proprietor of the academy, Adams Pius and three of the instructors were arrested and handed over to the Ikot Ekpene Division of the Nigeria Police.
The operation, led by the Executive Officer, Naval Ship, NNS Jubilee, Captain Suleiman Ibrahim, resulted in the evacuation of students by a team of police and Navy for repatriation to their states.
The school had been sealed off in 2013, but resumed operation in 2016, until it was shut again on Friday.
The proprietor, according to the Navy, connived with suspected syndicates at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The suspected syndicates allegedly sent text messages to the unsuspecting admission seekers, saying they had been admitted into the illegal maritime academy.
“In 2013, the then President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan outlawed the institution, which claimed it was training merchant sailors, because it does not have the capacity to embark on this kind of training. So, it was shut. When we got intelligence information about the existence of this place sometime ago, we raided the place and the institution was temporarily closed.
“This year, we received intelligence information that the same school has resumed training young Nigerians in maritime studies despite that there is no authority for them to do so. That led to our raiding the place and shutting it down again,” Ibrahim said.
