Audio By Carbonatix
Somali pirates have released a Bangladesh-flagged vessel and its 23-member crew after a ransom was reportedly paid.
The MV Abdullah was carrying coal from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) when it was hijacked off Somalia's coast about a month ago.
The pirates alleged that they received $5m (£4m), but there is no independent confirmation of the claim.
A spike in hijackings has been reported off Somalia's coast in recent months.
More than a dozen vessels have been targeted since late November.
Security experts said a security vacuum had developed off Somalia's coast after foreign navies patrolling its waters turned their attention to the Red Sea, where Yemen's Houthi rebel group have been attacking ships.
Between 2005 and 2012, pirates off the Horn of Africa raked in between $339m and $413m by holding crew members hostage and demanding ransom payments, the World Bank has estimated.
Latest Stories
-
Santasi–Ahodwo dualisation takes off; businesses given final eviction deadline
2 minutes -
Proposed 5-year presidential term will not apply to Mahama – Prof Prempeh
6 minutes -
Key observations on the Constitutional Review Commission Report submitted to President Mahama
11 minutes -
Video: JoyNews engages Prof Kwasi H. Prempeh on proposed constitutional reforms
14 minutes -
Awaso STEM SHS matron, cook remanded for allegedly stealing food items
17 minutes -
Deputy Finance Minister hails ADB’s remarkable turnaround, record growth and rising confidence
45 minutes -
Why 5-year presidency may end 8-year tradition – H. Kwasi Prempeh explains
58 minutes -
Ashanti Regional Council of Elders commends NPP minority caucus for parliamentary resilience
1 hour -
ECOWAS admits Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger as non-ECOWAS members of GIABA
1 hour -
Road Safety Authority urges road users to avoid alcohol and drugs during yuletide
1 hour -
Sekondi-Takoradi is the Christmas city of Ghana—Takoradi MP
1 hour -
Christmas celebration: Expose wrongs, embrace lawful initiatives—Clergy urge Ghanaians
2 hours -
No automatic second term – H. Kwasi Prempeh says 5 years will expose non-performers
2 hours -
Boko Haram suicide bomber behind Borno mosque blast in Nigeria, army says
2 hours -
Five killed in Nigeria mosque attack, police say
2 hours
