Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested two suspected members of a notorious sea piracy syndicate in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, in a significant blow to maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea.
The suspects were allegedly planning to hijack a crude oil-laden vessel and abduct its crew.
The suspects, identified as Geoffrey Atizara, 38, from Aleibiri in Ekeremor Local Government Area, and Divine Kelechi Unueze, 42, from Nekede in Owerri, Imo State, were apprehended on Saturday at a hotel on Tenacious Street, Edepie, while reportedly finalising plans for the operation.
Sources familiar with the operation told security analyst Zagazola Makama that Unueze acted as the financier of the plot, while Atizara was responsible for recruiting additional pirates. “The duo have admitted to being part of a high-profile criminal network operating in the South East and South South regions of Nigeria, profiting mainly from sea piracy and kidnapping,” a source said.
The DSS, working alongside the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies, said the arrest has disrupted a potentially major threat to maritime security in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea. “Given the sophistication and resources of this pirate network, this is a major success for intelligence-driven operations,” the source added.
The arrest follows a series of recent breakthroughs by security agencies.
In separate operations last week, DSS operatives, in collaboration with forest guards and sister security agencies, rescued several abducted pastors and civilians in Kaduna and Borno States.
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According to reports, seven victims were seized on January 19 near Ajiri Camp, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, while collecting firewood.
Two of the abductees escaped to raise the alarm, prompting a joint DSS and forest guard operation that trekked for nearly an hour to avoid detection. The ensuing gun battle forced the abductors, identified as ISWAP members, to flee and abandon their captives.
Security agencies have intensified intelligence-led operations in the region, including the interception of pirate speedboats and the rescue of hijacked vessel crews along the coasts of Bayelsa and Delta States.
Authorities say these measures are part of ongoing efforts to clamp down on maritime and forest-based criminality in Nigeria.