The efficacy of the Nigerian Navy’s aggression against oil theft and other criminalities within Nigeria’s maritime space is being undercut by corruption within its ranks which has been affecting promotions and postings, one of its officers, Commodore Promise Dappa has alleged.

Cdre Dappa retired, who made this allegation in a telephone interview with Kristina Reports, accused the service of complicity in oil theft and other maritime crimes, saying its promotions are fraudulent.

He alleged that he was denied promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral in the Navy due to his uncompromising stance against oil theft and other maritime crimes, when he was the Maritime Guard Commander at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

He also accused a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, of being among principal officers then at the Naval Headquarters that were not happy with his actions.

Claiming that when he became the Chief of the Naval Staff in 2015, he denied him every privilege commensurate with his rank and ability, including promotions on three occasions, further alleging that when the forces against him succeeded in removing him from NIMASA, he was replaced with one Vice Admiral Ibas’ protégé.

He further claimed that in 2016, while investigating the operations of NIMASA, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) indicted the two officers that took over from him, of fraudulent practices.

The retired senior naval officer alleged that “the EFCC went to court and obtained an order of final forfeiture of some properties and huge sums of money from the officers in November 2018 and in December. Curiously, in the same 2018, Vice Admiral Ibas’ promoted one of them to the rank of Rear Admiral”.

According to Cdre Dappa, Vice Admiral Ibas, however, refused to promote him inspite of his performances at the Promotion Selection Board and his activities in curbing oil theft while at NIMASA.

“To truly confirm that his actions were not in error, the then Navy Chief still promoted the second indicted officer in 2019, and also refused to promote Dappa inspite of his persistent performances at the Promotion Board.”

The officer opined that the action of Vice Admiral Ibas’ in promoting the two officers indicted for criminal activities at NIMASA, without conducting any investigation on them or carry out any disciplinary action against them, is enough cause for concern.

He further asserted that “it is on record that the two officers did not conduct any anti-oil theft or anti-piracy activities while at NIMASA compared to his tenure. Even, Ibas’ when he was Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Apapa, Lagos, had no record of arrest of oil thieves or pirates”.

The retired officer further alleged that, “Vice Admiral Ibas’ as Chief of the Naval Staff dedicated the biggest Naval Base, NNS BEECROFT at Apapa to his aides and tribesmen who commanded it back to back between 2016 – 2019. During their tenures, there was also no record of arrest of oil thieves”.

The senior naval officer averred that “Vice Admiral Ibas’ as the Chief of the Naval Staff used promotion as an instrument of ethnic chauvinism and personal vendetta. Those he hated or had any little issue with were never promoted”.

“He also used promotion to ensure domination of one tribe against the other in some particular zones. In the South-South zone where he hails from, he used promotion to enthrone Cross River/Akwa Ibom domination in the zone”.

“He showed a special dislike for Rivers State officers such that every Commodore of Rivers State extraction during his regime were either not promoted at all or lost seniority at least twice before promotion, whereas special slots were reserved for Cross River/Akwa Ibom contingents every year. Only them also had the privilege of holding command appointments while the Rivers counterparts watch on.”

Retired Commodore Promise Dappa called on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to act swiftly to checkmate “these heinous behaviours and flagrant abuse of office” which he said “has continued unabated in the Navy, hence demanding urgent intervention”.

He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to, “in line with his Renewed Hope Agenda, move in and sanitize the Navy in order to enable the system function optimally. The impunity and callousness of the Chiefs of Naval Staff have vitiated the force and hampered its capacity to function effectively”.

He also appealed to the President to come to the aid of some of them that were unjustly denied promotion especially under Admiral Ibas’ with a view to restoring their promotion and entitlements.

He further urged the President to “as a matter of urgency set up a Service Commission that will be responsible for handling administrative issues in the Navy like promotion, appointments, recruitments and even logistics supply, so that the Navy itself can concentrate on operations”.

Efforts by Kristina Reports to contact the former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas to respond to the allegations against proved abortive as he neither answered his calls nor responded to messages sent to his WhatsApp number.

When contacted, the Director of Navy Information, Commodore Ayo Vaughan dismissed the claims, describing them as “baseless, unfounded and most unfortunate”, stating that “these have been addressed before a NASS committee last year”.

Meanwhile, a senior naval officer, who preferred anonymity, confided in Kristina Reports that the allegations were neither here nor there, explaining that “there are procedures for doing things in the Nigerian Navy, and if it doesn’t favour you now it may favour you tomorrow”.

“Taking up a fight against the whole Nigerian Navy isn’t the way to go. I have heard about this issue but there are obvious gaps in the narrative. As a very senior officer, he knows better to seek redress within the hierarchy than to embark on open warfare against the Navy leadership.”

Also, a top official of another security service in the country, who does not want to be named, urging the naval authorities to take responsibility for the situation and address the cry of injustice by retired Commodore Dappa, advising, however, that the retired naval officer should be careful not to set a precedent that would be injurious to the military as a whole.