The police in Lagos have arrested two members of a suspected piracy syndicate which specialised in hijacking oil-laden vessels within the nation’s territorial waters, as well as in the high seas.
An investigation carried out by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos revealed that some of the pirates were based in Ogun.
It was revealed that the syndicate, which is believed to comprise 10 men, usually ferried arms and ammunition to Lagos whenever they were to carry out any operation.
The police in Lagos have arrested two members of a suspected piracy syndicate which specialised in hijacking oil-laden vessels within the nation’s territorial waters, as well as in the high seas.
An investigation carried out by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos revealed that some of the pirates were based in Ogun.
It was revealed that the syndicate, which is believed to comprise 10 men, usually ferried arms and ammunition to Lagos whenever they were to carry out any operation.
NAN gathered that the gang normally assembled at Snake Island, to collect arms which were ferried by boat from Ogun, to launch attacks on oil-laden vessels in the high sea.
“Sometimes, the pirates hijacked such vessels and moved them to unknown destinations where they will siphon the crude or petroleum products and abandon the vessels.
“They usually attacked the crew members before siphoning the crude or refined petroleum products from the vessels, into their own ship, after which they disappeared,’’ a reliable source who sought anonymity alleged.
According to the source, members of the Snake Island community were being accused of sea piracy by the security agencies and merchant ship owners, not knowing that the actual pirates were not from the community.
NAN gathered that the suspected pirates currently in police net were arrested by members of the Snake Island community and handed over to the police last week.
“Three AK-47 rifles were recovered from the suspects, with one automatic pump action gun," the source said.
The source disclosed that the syndicate's ring leader had yet to be arrested, adding that the suspects in custody were just errand boys who received about $4,000 dollars (about N622,800) each, per operation.
“On interrogation, the suspects denied knowledge of how the products were being disposed of by their master,’’ the source added.
However, the Lagos State Police Command's spokesman, SP Joseph Jaiyeoba, who confirmed the arrests, said the security strategy of the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, had started yielding results.
Jaiyeoba said that efforts were being intensified by the command to arrest other members of the syndicate.
NAN reports that The Presidency last week tasked all the security agencies to focus on the sea in order to stem the rate of piracy in the nation's territorial waters. (NAN
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