Ghana Police Department said three Chinese crew members who were kidnapped by pirates in the attack on a Ghana fishing boat, Menhin-1, were rescued in Nigeria.
At a press briefing held on Tuesday at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters in Accra, The Director-General of the CID, COP, Lydia Yaako Donkor, said pirates, armed with AK-47 rifles, attacked the vessel on March 27, 2025, at about 1930 hours off Yenyano Waters near Tema, using outboard motor powered wooden canoes.
Police said the attackers destroyed the ship’s communication system before taking hostages from three Chinese crew members.
The next morning, on March 28, the Marine Police Command of Tema received a complaint from the fishing company and immediately conducted an investigation in cooperation with the Ghana Maritime Administration, the Ghana Ports and Ports Administration, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Ghana Navy and Fisheries Observer.
According to police, the pirates blindfolded the victims and transported them in speedboats for 24 hours, which was later identified as a swampy area in the Nigerian Delta region.
From there, they were moved on motorcycles and walked to a makeshift camp where they were detained at gunpoint until they were suddenly abandoned on April 25.
The victims managed to reach a nearby village where locals assisted them in contact with the Chinese embassy in Lagos, Nigeria.
The embassy confirmed the rescue activities on April 26 and handed them over to Ghanaian authorities at Kotoka International Airport on April 27.
On April 28, a report was conducted at the police headquarters in Accra.
Although there were no obvious signs of physical harm, the victim appeared to have been traumatized and asked for medical care.
The police inspector general interacts with the victims and expresses sympathy and support for their suffering.
So far, police have arrested eight people in connection with the case. The arrested included Sueva Victor, Kojo Akweli, Eugene Chibuke, Mwonam, Chinese chef Zhao Lang Hao and second engineer Zhao Hua.
As the investigation continued, they were arraigned in the Tema District Court.
Police praised all stakeholders involved in multi-agency operations for quick action and coordination, which led to the rescue of the abducted crew.
