DSS Arrests Suspected Sea Pirates in Bayelsa, Foils Planned Oil Hijack
In a decisive, intelligence-led operation, the Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested two suspected sea pirates in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, thwarting what security sources describe as a planned hijacking of a crude oil–laden vessel in the Gulf of Guinea.
The suspects—Geoffrey Atizara, 38, from Aleibiri in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, and Divine Kelechi Unueze, 42, from Nekede in Imo State—were apprehended on Saturday at a hotel on Tenacious Street in the Edepie area of Yenagoa.
Security sources revealed that the duo was coordinating with a wider criminal network notorious for maritime piracy and kidnappings across Nigeria’s South-East and South-South regions. Intelligence reports indicate that Unueze allegedly financed the planned operation, while Atizara was responsible for recruiting additional pirates.
According to the DSS, the group intended to seize a vessel in the Gulf of Guinea, abduct its crew, and divert its crude oil cargo—an operation that posed a significant threat to maritime safety and the nation’s oil assets.
“The suspects were part of a sophisticated criminal network that posed a serious threat to maritime security,” a security source said. “Their arrest has disrupted what could have been a major criminal operation in the Gulf of Guinea.”
Investigations are ongoing, as authorities work to dismantle the broader network linked to the foiled plot.
