Two suspected members of a sea piracy syndicate have been reportedly arrested by officers of the Department of State Services at a hotel located at Tenacious Street in the Edepie area of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital on Saturday.
Some officials, who preferred to remain unnamed as they aren’t authorized to speak publicly about the issue, shared that the arrests were made based on intelligence suggesting that the suspects were in the final stages of planning to hijack a crude oil-laden vessel in the Gulf of Guinea.
It seems that initial intelligence and some statements have indicated that the suspects, along with other group members, had plans to take control of a vessel, kidnap its crew, and make off with its cargo.
“Operatives of the DSS on Saturday arrested two suspected members of a band of sea pirates in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State, as they were fine-tuning plans to hijack a crude oil-laden vessel in the Gulf of Guinea.
“Preliminary intelligence, corroborated by the suspects’ confessional statements, revealed that the men, along with other band members, were plotting to seize a vessel, abduct its crew, and steal its cargo.
“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,” the source said.
