Diri hands rescued fishermen over to São Tomé envoy

Bayelsa state governor, Senator Douye Diri, has reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to strengthening bilateral cooperation between the state, Nigeria and the Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe.

Governor Diri stated this Monday while formally handing over two fishermen, Pedro Mateus and Isnaic Dafonseca, to the Chargé d’Affaires of the São Tomé Embassy, Amb. Carlos Manuel Moreno at his country home in Sampou.

The fishermen had drifted into Nigerian waters and were rescued by local fishermen at Agge in Ekeremor local government area of the state, after spending about eight days at sea.

The governor described the rescue as another demonstration of the close ties between the people of Bayelsa and São Tomé, noting that both locations share the Gulf of Guinea as well as strong maritime connections.

Diri said it was the second time fishermen from the neighbouring country had been rescued in Bayelsa, following an earlier occurrence in Brass local government area in July, 2023.

He attributed the repeated incidents partly to weather conditions in the Gulf of Guinea, statingthat the geographical proximity provided an opportunity for deeper cooperation.

He said the development further underscores the strategic importance of the Gulf of Guinea and Bayelsa’s vast maritime resources.

“This shows you how close Nigeria, Bayelsa and São Tomé and Príncipe are in the Gulf of Guinea,” he said.

The governor noted that all three senatorial districts of Bayelsa have access to the Atlantic Ocean, describing the state’s maritime resources as a major opportunity for economic diversification.