DSS nabs sea pirates in Bayelsa, thwarts crude oil hijack

Abdullateef Fowewe

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested two suspected sea pirates on Saturday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, as they finalised plans to hijack a crude oil-laden vessel and kidnap its crew in the Gulf of Guinea.

The suspects, Geoffrey Atizara, 38, from Aleibiri in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa, and Divine Kelechi Unueze, 42, from Nekede in Owerri, Imo State, were apprehended at a hotel on Tenacious Street in the Edepie area of Yenagoa, security sources confirmed.

Preliminary intelligence, backed by the suspects’ confessions, exposed a plot by the duo and their accomplices to seize the vessel, abduct crew members, and steal its cargo.

Unueze allegedly served as the operation’s financier, while Atizara handled recruitment of 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 statement by DSS revealed.

The DSS collaborated with the Nigerian Navy and other agencies in the intelligence-led operation, part of broader efforts to tackle maritime crimes.

“Recent successes 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 statement added.

This bust builds on last week’s DSS-led rescues of abducted pastors and others in Kaduna and Borno States, underscoring heightened security momentum across Nigeria.