Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested two suspected sea pirates in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, over an alleged plan to hijack a crude oil–laden vessel in the Gulf of Guinea. The suspects were apprehended on Saturday while finalising preparations for the operation, security sources disclosed on Sunday. Those arrested were identified as 38-year-old Geoffrey Atizara from Aleibiri in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, and 42-year-old Divine Kelechi Unueze from Nekede in Owerri, Imo State. They were reportedly picked up at a hotel along Tenacious Street in the Edepie area of Yenagoa.
Security sources said intelligence reports, backed by confessional statements from the suspects, indicated that they were working with other members of a piracy syndicate to seize a vessel, kidnap crew members and divert the cargo. Unueze was said to be the financier of the plot, while Atizara allegedly handled recruitment for the group. 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.
According to security officials, the arrests have significantly disrupted a potentially serious threat to maritime safety in the oil-producing Gulf of Guinea, given the scale and resources of the syndicate. Another source revealed that the DSS, working alongside the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies, has stepped up intelligence-led operations to tackle piracy and related crimes in the region. Recent operations were said to 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 arrest adds to a series of recent security breakthroughs, the source noted. Only about a week earlier, the DSS, in joint operations with other security agencies and forest guards, rescued kidnapped pastors and other victims in Kaduna and Borno States.
Source: https://thenationonlineng.net/
