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, identified as 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 on Saturday at a hotel located on Tenacious Street in the Edepie area of Yenagoa.
Security sources said the arrest followed actionable intelligence indicating that the suspects were finalising plans to seize a vessel, abduct its crew, and cart away the cargo.
Preliminary investigations, supported by confessional statements obtained from the suspects, revealed that Unueze allegedly served as the financier of the operation, while Atizara was responsible for recruiting additional members for the pirate gang.
The sources disclosed that both men admitted to being part of a coordinated criminal network operating across the South-South and South-East regions of the country, with activities centred on sea piracy and kidnapping for ransom.
According to one of the sources, the arrest has significantly disrupted the operations of the group, which was described as well-funded and highly organised.
“Given the level of sophistication and resources available to this pirate network, their activities posed a serious threat to maritime security in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea,” the source said.
Another security source confirmed that the DSS, working alongside the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies, has intensified intelligence-led operations to address rising maritime security challenges in the region.
The source added that recent operations have led to the interception of several pirate speedboats and the rescue of crew members from hijacked vessels off the coasts of Bayelsa and Delta States.
The latest arrest, the source noted, represents another major success in ongoing efforts to secure Nigeria’s waterways and protect maritime economic assets.
Meanwhile, security agencies recently recorded similar successes on land, as the DSS, in joint operations with sister agencies and forest guards, rescued abducted pastors and other victims in Kaduna and Borno States.
DSS Arrests Two Suspected Sea Pirates in Bayelsa
