Trending 
A group of approximately 140 Ghanaian fishermen was left stranded in the Gulf of Guinea on Thursday after armed pirates ambushed their fleet.
The attack targeted seven wooden canoes, each carrying about 20 men, as they were returning from an overnight fishing expedition off the coast of Awutu Senya West.
According to local lawmaker Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, the pirates opened fire on the vessels before systematically looting them of their outboard motors and power generators.
The pirates, who reportedly operated from a “black boat,” stripped the fishermen of the equipment necessary to navigate back to land, leaving them helpless in open water.
While the Ghana Navy and Air Force immediately launched a joint search-and-rescue operation, local news stations later broadcast images of the men being brought safely to shore.
One survivor recounted the ordeal to local media, noting that the attackers spoke Nigerian Pidgin, which suggested the criminals may have originated from the neighbouring region.
This incident underscores the persistent dangers in the Gulf of Guinea, a vital maritime corridor that remains a hotspot for piracy despite increased international naval patrols.
While large-scale attacks on commercial oil and gas tankers have seen a recent decline due to cooperation between West African and European states, small-scale local fishermen remain highly vulnerable targets for armed robbery and equipment theft.
According to Benjamin Campion, the executive director of the Fisheries Commission, this was not an isolated event; a similar attack occurred just weeks ago off the coast of the Volta region.
In response to the growing threat, the commission is now exploring the possibility of providing specialised security training to fishing communities.
The rise in these robberies follows a high-profile kidnapping last month off the coast of Gabon, signalling a worrying trend of maritime insecurity in the region.
