Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have smashed a suspected sea piracy ring and thwarted an imminent plot to hijack a crude oil–laden vessel in the volatile Gulf of Guinea, security sources disclosed on Saturday.
Two suspects—Geoffrey Atizara, 38, from Aleibiri in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, and Divine Kelechi Unueze, 42, from Nekede in Owerri—were arrested at a hotel on Tenacious Street in the Edepie area of Yenagoa while allegedly fine-tuning plans for the high-risk operation.
According to security sources, intelligence gathered ahead of the arrest—later corroborated by the suspects’ confessional statements—revealed that the duo, alongside other gang members, were plotting to seize a vessel, abduct its crew, and siphon its cargo on the high seas. Investigators said Unueze allegedly bankrolled the operation, while Atizara was tasked with recruiting additional pirates to execute the plan.
“The duo have admitted to being part of a high-profile criminal network operating across the South East and South South, largely profiting from sea piracy and kidnapping,” a source said. “Given the sophistication and resources at the disposal of this gang, the arrests have disrupted what could have escalated into a major threat to maritime security in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea.”
Another source disclosed that the DSS, working in close coordination with the Nigerian Navy and other sister agencies, has intensified intelligence-driven operations to choke piracy routes and protect Nigeria’s maritime domain. Recent successes, the source added, include the interception of multiple pirate speedboats and the rescue of crew members from hijacked vessels off the coasts of Bayelsa and Delta States.
The latest arrests mark another boost for security efforts in the region, underscoring a sustained crackdown on criminal networks targeting Nigeria’s waterways. Only last week, the DSS, in joint operations with other security agencies and forest guards, rescued abducted pastors and several other victims in Kaduna and Borno States—further highlighting a widening security dragnet against organised crime nationwide.
Source:@ZagazolaMakama
About The Author
