The eight Nigerians who were arrested by the Ghana Navy on the high seas have been handed over to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for further interrogation.
The Commander of the Eastern Base of the Marine Police, Superintendent Joseph Mbiah Ababio revealed this to Citi News.
The 8 Nigerians suspected to be pirates were arrested over the weekend for hijacking an oil tanker carrying huge volumes of crude oil.
The vessel, MV Mariam, was carrying about 1,500 tonnes of crude oil at the time the pirates hijacked it.
The suspected pirates are reported to have turned the vessel around and entered the territorial waters of Ghana but a tracking device on the vessel enabled the owner to track it down.
[contextly_sidebar id=”t31G855nSUe8MrTAZ58FammqV0WugMyH”]Superintendent Ababio said the outcome of the interrogation will determine if they would be handed over to Nigerian authorities or prosecuted in Ghana.
“The Navy has handed them over to the BNI. When it happens like that, we have to get more information. You have to take their statements and get detailed information. The initial one will not give you a clearer picture. But when you get the information from the crew members and the suspects, that will give you meaningful information,” he added.
They also found AK47 rifles, 10 magazines with one pump action gun, UHF Radio, mobile phones, digital cameras and thousands of dollars and Naira.
The ship which was hijacked is currently at the Tema Port.
By: Nana Ama Agyemang/citifmonline.com/Ghana