The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has confirmed the rescue of a total of 71 fishermen following a pirate attack Thursday dawn.
Narrating their ordeal, the fishermen said they had been attacked by masked men at gunpoint and robbed of their outboard motors and some personal belongings.
But upon tip-off, the Ghana Navy with the support of the Ghana Air Force carried out a search-and-rescue effort immediately, leading to the freeing of all the victims.
“Ghana Navy Special Boat Squadron with fast interceptors supported by other Ghana Navy Ships from the Eastern and Western Naval Commands were key to the rescue mission which resulted in the safe evacuation from sea of 24 and 47 of the victims to Tema and Senya Bereku respectively,” a statement from GAF said.
The Ghana Navy has assured that officers will continue to patrol Ghana’s Exclusive Economic Zone including the area 35 nautical miles off the coast of Gomoa Nyanyano and Senya Bereku, where the piracy occurred.
The maritime officers urged all fishermen and maritime users to exercise extreme caution and report any suspicious activity as they assess the situation.
They expressed commitment to protecting Ghanaian fishermen, combating piracy and armed robbery at sea and ensuring the safety of vessels within Ghana’s Exclusive Economic Zone.