Three Korean sailors who were kidnapped on March 26th this year in the waters of Ghana and taken to Bayelsa State in Nigeria by Nigerian pirates have been released.
The sailors whose identities were given as: Mr Hyon Yong Ho, Captain of the vessel; Mr Kim LL-Dol, chief officer, and Mr Jeong Dae Young, chief engineer — were onboard Marine 711 when they were kidnapped while fishing in Ghanaian waters near Keta in the Volta Region.
Security sources confirmed last week that the sailors were released on April 27 after a ransom was paid through an arrangement by their employers – World Marine Company Limited and the Korean Embassy in Accra, Ghana.
They confirmed that the sailors were released in Port Harcourt, Rivers State from where they were taken immediately to an undisclosed hospital in the city.
According to Commander of the Marine, Ports and Railways Department of the Ghana Police Service in Tema, Chief Superintendent of Police Joseph Antwi-Ababio, the sailors’ release was aided by collaboration between security forces of Ghana, Nigeria and the Korean Navy.
He confirmed that, after regaining their freedom, the three sailors were escorted by the Korean Navy to Ghana on April 30 from where they were reunited with their colleagues.
Even though no one confirmed how much was paid as ransom, it was however confirmed by a source who was part of the negotiations that “the Korean Embassy paid for the ransom, but World Marine will refund the money because that was the term of the agreement”.
However, Director of the World Marine Company Limited, Mr Nketiah, confirmed the release, but was silent on the ransom.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that, the plight of the Korean sailors started when in the early morning of March 26, 2018, a speedboat powered by two outboard motors and carrying nine persons suspected to be Nigerians approached a vessel in the Tema anchorage area and commanded the crew on the vessel to weigh anchor.
But, on realising the intentions of the kidnappers, the crew informed the bandits that there was insufficient fuel in the vessel to make the journey.
That caused the armed bandits to hijack another vessel, an oil tanker then operated by a Ghanaian who is still in captivity, Mr Hammond, and his business partner, Mr Nicolaus, and took them hostage.
The pirates took Mr Hammond and his business partner onto the Marine 711, which was fishing in Ghanaian waters near Keta, and kidnapped its captain and two others, before locking up all 45 crew members on board the vessel into a cabin and then headed towards the Bayelsa State in Nigeria.
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