Two members of a sea pirate syndicate, Kelvin Dikuro, aka General Small Voice and Erememi Captain, alias Nwalanta, have recounted their criminal escapades within the Niger Delta region, including Bayelsa and Rivers states.
They revealed how the gang kidnapped 14 foreign sailors, collected ransoms running into N15m and killed military men frustrating their operations.
The suspects were tracked down in their hideouts by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team led by DCP Abba Kyari, relying on intelligence reports by the Nigerian Navy.
They reportedly took part in several operations, where they hijacked foreign vessels and kidnapped crews, who were released after ransom payment.
In an interview with City Round during the week, Dikuro, 24, said he inherited five of the AK-47 rifles they used for operations from his late elder brother arrested in 2017 for kidnapping.
He said, “After my brother’s death, I inherited his guns and I formed a five-man gang. We ventured into kidnapping. We kidnapped nine foreign sailors from their vessel in January 2019 on the sea in Bayelsa State and took them to New Jerusalem Island in the Buguma Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“We kept them for 14 days and fed them with noodles. One of my brother’s friends known as Commander Sunday was communicating with relatives of the victims.
The sum of N5m was eventually paid as a ransom for the release of the sailors. I was given N200,000 as my share and other gang members got their own share.”
Dikuro stated that N400,000 of the ransom was used to buy ammunition, adding that in their second operation in Bayelsa, five foreign seafarers were abducted. (Punch)
