Ghana Police Service has reported the successful rescue of three Chinese crew members who were abducted by pirates during an attack on a Ghanaian fishing vessel.
The incident took place on March 27 when the pirates, armed with AK-47 rifles, targeted the vessel off the coast of Yenyano Waters near Tema, Ghana, employing wooden canoes equipped with outboard motors.
Lydia Donkor, the director-general of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Accra, confirmed the details during a press briefing, as reported by the counter-insurgency publication Zagazola Makama.
The assailants not only captured the crew but also destroyed the vessel’s communication systems prior to the abduction.
According to Donkor, the kidnapped crew members were blindfolded and transported by speedboat for approximately 24 hours to a remote area in the Delta region of Nigeria. After their arrival, they were transferred to motorcycles and subsequently forced to walk to a makeshift camp, where they remained at gunpoint until April 25. On that day, the kidnappers unexpectedly abandoned the victims, who then made their way to a nearby village. Local residents helped them establish contact with the Chinese embassy in Lagos, which confirmed receiving the sailors on April 26.
On April 27, the embassy handed the rescued crew members over to Ghanaian authorities at Kotoka International Airport. A formal debriefing took place at the Police Headquarters in Accra on April 28. Although the crew members did not exhibit any visible physical injuries, they appeared to be traumatised and requested medical assistance.
In connection with the abduction, eight individuals have been arrested, including Sueva Victor, Kojo Akweli, Eugene Chibuke, Mwonam, Zhao Lang Hao (a Chinese cook), and Zhao Hua (the second engineer).
The suspects have been arraigned before the Tema district court as investigations continue.
