Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Saturday, arrested two suspected members of a band of sea pirates in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State, as they were fine-tuning plans to hijack a crude oil-laden vessel in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).
The men, 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 nabbed at a hotel on Tenacious Street in the Edepie area of Yenagoa, according to security sources.
According to the sources, preliminary intelligence, corroborated by the suspects’ confessional statements, revealed that the men, along with other band members, were plotting to seize a vessel, abduct its crew, and steal its cargo.
According to the sources, Unueze was the financier of the operation, while Atizara was tasked with recruiting additional pirates.
“The duo have admitted to being part of a high-profile criminal network operating in the South East and South South parts of Nigeria, mainly profiting from sea piracy and kidnapping,” the source offered.
“Given the sophistication and the resources at the disposal of this pirate band, this arrest has disrupted what could have been a major threat to maritime security in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea region,” one of the sources declared.
Another source disclosed that the DSS, in concert with the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies, has intensified intelligence-driven operations to curb maritime security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea.
“Recent successes,” the source disclosed, “include the interception of several pirate speedboats and the rescue of crew members from hijacked vessels off the coasts of Bayelsa and Delta States.”
The arrest of the two suspected sea pirates in Bayelsa state, marks additional successes by security agencies in the region, he added.
Recall that barely a week ago, the DSS in separate joint operations with sister security agencies and forest guards rescued some abducted pastors and other individuals in Kaduna and Borno States.
@Zagazola Makama
