The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested two suspected sea pirates, Geoffrey Atizara, 38, and Divine Kelechi Unueze, 42, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, foiling a plot to hijack a crude oil-laden vessel in the Gulf of Guinea. The suspects were arrested at a hotel on Tenacious Street in the Edepie area of Yenagoa.
According to security sources, preliminary intelligence and confessional statements revealed that the duo, along with other members, were planning to seize a vessel, abduct its crew, and steal its cargo. Unueze was identified as the financier, 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 parts of Nigeria, mainly profiting from sea piracy and kidnapping,” a source said.
“Given the sophistication and 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,” another source declared.
The DSS, in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy and other agencies, has intensified operations to curb maritime security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea, with recent successes including intercepting pirate speedboats and rescuing crew members from hijacked vessels off Bayelsa and Delta States.
