Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested two suspected members of a sea piracy syndicate in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, over an alleged plot to hijack a crude oil-laden vessel in the Gulf of Guinea.
The suspects, Geoffrey Atizara, 38, from Aleibiri in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, and Divine Kelechi Unueze, 42, from Nekede in Owerri, Imo State, were apprehended at a hotel on Tenacious Street in the Edepie area of Yenagoa, security sources said.
Preliminary intelligence, supported by confessional statements, indicated that the suspects and other members of the syndicate were planning to seize a vessel, abduct crew members, and steal its cargo.
Investigations revealed that Unueze allegedly financed the operation, while Atizara was responsible for recruiting additional pirates.
The suspects reportedly admitted to belonging to an organised criminal network operating across the South-East and South-South regions, with activities centred on sea piracy and kidnapping for ransom.
Security sources said the arrest disrupted a highly coordinated operation that could have posed a significant threat to maritime security in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea.
The DSS, working with the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies, has intensified intelligence-led operations to address maritime crimes in the region.
Recent efforts, according to officials, have led to the interception of pirate speedboats and the rescue of abducted crew members off the coasts of Bayelsa and Delta States.
The latest arrests add to a series of security breakthroughs in the region. Only last week, the DSS, in joint operations with sister agencies and forest guards, rescued abducted pastors and other victims in Kaduna and Borno States.
Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie
