Reports reaching our News Desk say nine pirates who attempted to hijack a ship in Togolese waters in May 2019 have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 12 to 20 years during a trial at a Lome court.
It was the first time pirates have been tried in Togo, one of the West African countries with a coastline on the Gulf of Guinea, a major trading route that now accounts for most of the world’s abductions of the commercial crew by pirates.
A total of ten pirates, including seven Nigerians, two Togolese and one Ghanaian, went on trial for “maritime piracy, wilful violence and groups of criminals”.
The Ghanian, who is on the run and facing an international arrest warrant, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
One Togolese national was acquitted, while the other eight pirates were given sentences from 12 to 15 years.
The group were accused of attacking the tanker G-DONA 1 on the night of May 11, 2019.
Prosecutor Kodjo Garba, while speaking with reporters, warned that people should understand that piracy and armed robbery at sea will be punished, stressing that they would not compromise.
Pirate attacks in the Gulf are mainly carried out by gangs from southeastern Nigeria who speed out in boats to raid commercial vessels offshore to kidnap their crew for ransom.
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