Hijacked oil ship arrives at Tema

A Cyprus registered ship, carrying oil which was hijacked by Pirates in Togolese waters has arrived at the Tema port.

The pirates had stolen 7,600 tons of diesel oil out of an undisclosed consignment and transferred it onto two unidentified ships of theirs.

All the 26 persons on board from Ukraine, the Phillipines, Spain and Nigeria are said to be well, though traumatised result of the gun point attack on them.

Briefing the Ghanaian Times, the Harbour Master, Captain James Owusu-Koranteng, said last Saturday morning they received a distress call that some pirates had taken over a vessel in Togolese waters and that the crew were being brought to the Tema Port.

He said the ship, MT Matheoco 1, did not arrive until Monday when the Spanish Embassy, acting on behalf of the vessel owners confirmed the hijack but said the pirates had abandoned the vessel and was proceeding to Ghana to disembark the crew.

Capt. Owusu-Koranteng said checks by the Security Agencies on the vessel established that the pirates directed the hijacked ship to Nigerian waters and disembarked 12 nautical miles off the Nigerian Coast. The vessel is now anchored at the Tema Port under tight security.