Operatives of the Department of State Services, Nigeria’s domestic intelligence and security agency, have arrested two men suspected to be part of a sea piracy network in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State in southern Nigeria.
The arrests took place on Saturday, in a hotel located on Tenacious Street in the Edepie area of Yenagoa, according to security sources who requested anonymity because they are not authorised to speak publicly on the operation.
Okay News reports that the suspects were picked up after intelligence indicated they were close to concluding plans to hijack a vessel carrying crude oil in the Gulf of Guinea, a stretch of Atlantic waters off West Africa that has recorded repeated incidents of piracy, armed robbery at sea, and kidnap-for-ransom attacks in recent years.
The sources said early findings, including statements reportedly made by the suspects, suggested the planned operation involved forcing control of the targeted vessel, abducting crew members, and stealing the cargo.
One official familiar with the case said intelligence was supported by initial confessional statements, adding that the two men were believed to be part of a wider criminal network that operates across Nigeria’s South East and South South geopolitical zones, where groups involved in sea piracy and kidnapping have posed ongoing security concerns.
“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.
Another security source said the Department of State Services (DSS) has stepped up intelligence-led operations in partnership with the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies to address maritime threats in the area, especially around the coastal waters of Bayelsa and Delta states, which lie within Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta region.
The source explained that recent operations have included intercepting pirate speedboats and rescuing crew members from vessels that were attacked or hijacked off the coasts of Bayelsa and Delta. The latest arrests, the source added, were part of that broader push to reduce attacks on shipping and protect vital maritime routes used for the movement of crude oil and other goods.
Security sources also said the DSS had recorded other successes in separate joint operations in the past week. They said that, working with other security agencies and forest guards, the service recently helped rescue abducted pastors and other victims in Kaduna State in north-western Nigeria and Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria, regions that have faced years of insecurity linked to kidnapping and armed groups.
As of Sunday, 25 January 2026, the DSS had not issued a public statement on the arrests or provided further details on the identities of the suspects, the alleged syndicate, or whether additional arrests were expected.
