Bayelsa hands two rescued São Tomé fishermen back to their country
Bayelsa State has formally handed two rescued fishermen from São Tomé and Príncipe back to their country after they were found near Agge in Ekeremor Local Government Area.
Governor Douye Diri handed Pedro Mateus and Isnaic Dafonseca to São Tomé and Príncipe’s Chargé d’Affaires, Carlos Moreno, on September 5 at Sampou in Bayelsa State.
The men had reportedly spent about eight days at sea before being rescued by local fishermen.
Rescued near Agge
The fishermen were rescued around Agge after drifting towards the Bayelsa coast.
Current reporting places the rescue on August 28.
After the rescue, the chairman of Ekeremor Local Government Area handed the men over to the Bayelsa State Government.
Governor Diri said the fishermen were subsequently taken to Yenagoa and given medical attention at the Government House clinic.
IDNN has not independently reconstructed their physical condition at the point of rescue and is therefore limiting the account to what officials have stated.
Envoy says GPS battery failed
Moreno said the fishermen drifted towards Bayelsa after the battery powering their GPS equipment became depleted while they were fishing.
That explanation comes from São Tomé and Príncipe’s diplomatic representative.
It has not been independently established by IDNN through vessel data, maritime records or other navigation evidence.
Formal handover completes rescue process
Diri formally handed the fishermen to Moreno in Sampou.
The governor described the episode as another example of maritime contact between Bayelsa and São Tomé and Príncipe across the Gulf of Guinea.
He also said it was not the first similar rescue.
According to the governor, fishermen from São Tomé and Príncipe were previously rescued in Brass Local Government Area in July 2023.
Navigation and rescue coordination
The latest case highlights the importance of navigation reliability and cross-border rescue coordination in the Gulf of Guinea.
The available record does not independently establish the complete chain of events that left the men adrift.
The strongest source explanation is that their GPS battery became depleted while they were at sea.
For now, the verified publication position is limited:
Pedro Mateus and Isnaic Dafonseca were rescued near Agge after reportedly spending about eight days at sea.
Bayelsa authorities provided medical attention and formally handed them to São Tomé and Príncipe’s diplomatic representative.
The precise chain of events that left them adrift remains only partly established.
