By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
The Office of the Sierra Leone National Security has in a press release dated 21st November 2022 released its findings on the foreign vessel that was spotted in the waters along Dema, not long ago.
According to the press release, the findings dictates that the vessel spotted at dema named AINAFTIS was a cargo vessel that was heading to Senegal from Nigeria when it got attacked by pirates in the coast of Ghana. The crew , which comprised 12 Pakistanis, suspected of having some military background overcame the pirates and fled away.
The press release furthered that, during the crew’s battle with the pirates, the vessel drifted towards our waters along Dema where it got stuck apparently due to a huge sandbank, adding that the locals became apprehensive seeing a vessel with a number of white people on board.
The RSLAF Navy wing were alerted to the situation and they visited the scene and deployed military armed guards on board the vessel, waiting for enough water to release the vessel from the sandbank before whisking to the Freetown port for further investigation.
It added that , the Navy Commanders at Tombo and Turtle Island have been placed on standby for further action, if necessary, explaining that it is believed that the plane which reportedly flew over the vessel was doing reconnaissance to ascertain that a vessel was truly stationary in our waters. The press release concluded that there is no cause for alarm.