The Ghana Police Service has arrested four individuals of different nationalities in connection with a pirate attack that led to the abduction of three Chinese nationals, who were crew members aboard the targeted vessel.

According to the Ghana Police Service, the arrested individuals, Clever Victor Kojo Akorli, Eugene Chubuike Nwonam, Zhao Lan Han, and Zhaohua, have been arraigned before the Tema District Court as part of ongoing investigations into the incident.

“The police have been investigating this case as well, and so far, four people, Clever Victor Kojo Akorli, Eugene Chubuike Nwonam, Chinese cook Zhao Lan Han, and a second engineer Zhaohua have been arrested in connection with the case and have been put before the Tema District Court while investigation continues,” the police said.

Briefing the media at a press conference on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), DCOP Lydia Donkor, stated that the victims were found in Delta State, Nigeria, and were successfully rescued and transferred to the Chinese Embassy in Lagos on April 26, 2025.

“On 26th April 2025 at 10:00, police received information from a company representative that a Chinese embassy in Lagos called to inform her that the three kidnapped victims have been found in the Delta state of Nigeria and rescued to the Chinese Embassy in Lagos,” she said.

DCOP Lydia Donkor stated that, in recounting their ordeal, the victims revealed they were kidnapped by pirates and transported by sea for several hours before eventually finding themselves in Nigeria’s Delta region.

According to the police, the victims said they were held at gunpoint throughout their captivity but were later abandoned by their kidnappers for reasons that remain unknown.

They further recounted that after being abandoned, they roamed the area in search of help and eventually arrived at a village, where residents assisted them and made calls that ultimately led to their rescue.

“The victims recounted that on the fateful day of 27th March 2025, the pirates kidnapped them in two speedboats, blindfolded them, covered them with tarpaulin during the daytime, and travelled with them by sea for about 24 hours to a marshy area which they later found to be the Delta region of Nigeria.

“The kidnappers, upon disembarking from the speedboats, brought motorcycles to convey them for about two hours to a riverbank, which they crossed with them on foot to a makeshift camp where they were kept and guarded at gunpoint until 25th April 2025, where they were abandoned for no apparent reason. According to the rescued victims, they roamed the area on foot and went to a village where they were assisted to make calls, which led to their eventual rescue to the Chinese Embassy in Lagos,” they added.

Meanwhile, the police noted that the three victims did not show any signs of physical injury and were unharmed. However, they were visibly traumatised and were provided with medical attention upon their arrival at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on April 27, 2025.

Background

The Ghanaian-registered fishing vessel, MENGXIN 1, was attacked by pirates on March 27, 2025.

Preliminary reports indicated that seven armed individuals boarded the ship and fired warning shots, prompting several crew members to seek cover in a safe area.

The pirates stayed on board for about three hours after assembling everyone on deck and confiscating their mobile phones.

Following their departure, the crew came out of hiding to find the Captain, Chief Mate, and Chief Engineer, all Chinese nationals, missing, who are suspected of being kidnapped by the attackers.

The crew had to sail closer to land before reporting the event because there was no mobile network coverage at sea.

MAG/MA

Shocking! Watch why a young woman in the US questioned Alban Bagbin's Ghanaian identity