The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’S SIS) has arrested 17 suspects linked to a planned attack on oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta.
According to CSC Afolabi Babawale, NSCDC’s National Public Relations Officer, the suspects—described as a high-profile syndicate of sea pirates—were apprehended on March 6, 2025, in Tonogbe, Ekeremo Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The arrest followed a coordinated intelligence-based operation in collaboration with other security agencies.
Earlier, on January 21, 2025, suspected vandals and sea pirates launched an armed assault on the Joint Task Force, comprising NSCDC operatives and Tantita Security Services, at their base in Torugbene II, Bayelsa. The attack resulted in the death of an NSCDC officer, ASC Umar Aliyu, whose AK-47 rifle was stolen, while another security operative was injured, and a speedboat hijacked.
Following extensive investigations, authorities tracked down the 17 suspects, led by a notorious criminal, Ziakede Amatu, known for acts of vandalism, kidnapping, and armed robbery in Bayelsa and neighboring states.
Further interrogation revealed that the syndicate had previously orchestrated an attack on the Minister of State for Petroleum, Hon. Lokpobiri Heineken, on January 1, 2025. The suspects also admitted to engaging in illegal petroleum refining and possessing illegal arms.
Amatu allegedly attempted to infiltrate Tantita Security Services but, after failing, procured security uniforms to disguise himself while attacking oil installations to sabotage Tantita’s operations.
The NSCDC Commandant General, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, commended the squad for its relentless efforts in combating oil vandalism and criminal activities in the Niger Delta.
