Relief swept through Senya Beraku on Thursday, February 26, 2026, after 59 Ghanaian fishermen made it back to shore following a violent armed robbery attack while fishing offshore in the Central Region.
The fishermen had set out on a routine night expedition but were reportedly ambushed about 35 nautical miles from the coastline by unidentified armed men travelling in what survivors described as a “black boat.”
Confirming the incident in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse, the Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya West, Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, said although the attackers stripped the fishermen of critical equipment and left them stranded at sea, no fatalities were recorded.
“They were robbed of their outboard motors and generator sets by a black boat. I cannot disclose the nationality of the attackers. Investigations are ongoing,” she stated, noting that the matter is currently under investigation by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
According to the MP, the attack affected seven canoes carrying 59 fishermen. After drifting in different directions due to the loss of their engines, four of the boats eventually docked at Senya Beraku, two arrived in Tema, while another was traced to Chorkor.
“Fifty-nine fishermen were affected. Four boats have arrived here at Senya Beraku. Two went to Tema, and one went to Chorkor. We are still trying to get further information on the one that went to Chorkor,” she explained.
The ordeal reportedly began in the early hours of Wednesday, February 25, 2026, when the fishermen were intercepted near the Nyanyano stretch of the coast. Eyewitness accounts indicate that the attackers fired warning shots to intimidate the crew before boarding the canoes at gunpoint.
The assailants made away with seven outboard motors, generator sets and other valuables, effectively immobilising the vessels and leaving the fishermen stranded in deep waters.
“There was an armed attack at sea. Our fishermen usually go out at night and return early in the morning. Those who went toward the Nyanyano side were reportedly attacked,” the MP recounted.
The rescue operation was complicated by the scattered drift of the disabled canoes. However, coordinated efforts helped ensure all 59 men were accounted for by Thursday afternoon.
Officials from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the CID were present at the Senya Beraku landing site to document statements and process the victims.
Despite the traumatic experience, the MP assured families that the fishermen were physically stable.
“They are all fine. NADMO is taking their details, CID is taking their details. We are refreshing them a bit, and after that they will go through health checks before they are allowed to go home. Everybody is safe,” she affirmed.
The incident has renewed calls for intensified maritime patrols by the Ghana Navy along the Central Region’s coastline, as concerns mount over increasing cases of piracy and armed robbery targeting artisanal fishermen operating offshore.
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