Kidnappers grabbed cash from victims - Police

The Western Regional Police Command has revealed that parents of the three kidnapped girls in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis have so far paid a total of GH¢6,800 as ransom but the captors have refused to release the children.

According to the police, all the affected parents made payments to the kidnappers before reporting their respective cases to the police.

Interpol Joins Investigations

The Regional Police Command gave an assurance that it was collaborating with the International Police (Interpol) to break down the syndicate of the heinous crime.

It emerged yesterday that Samuel Odoetuk Wills, the Nigerian who is under arrest in connection with the kidnapping cases in the Takoradi Metropolis, was once arrested in his home country for the same offence.

Briefing the media on the emerging issues, the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Redeemer Vincent Dedjoe, mentioned that between the months of August and December, last year, three kidnapping cases were reported to the police.

Game Plan

He revealed that the alleged kidnappers contacted the victims several times through telephone communication and managed to strike acquaintance with the victims.

He added that the kidnappers even promised offering some of the victims jobs before kidnapping them.

1st Victim Pays GH¢4,500

The Regional Commander mentioned that the first victim, Priscilla Blessing Bentum, 21, a third year student of the University of Education, Winneba, lived with her parents at Diabene, near Takoradi.

He said she was kidnapped on August 17, 2018, at Kansaworodo. Her parents paid a ransom of GH¢4,500 to the kidnappers but their daughter was not freed before they filed a complaint to the police in Takoradi.

The second victim, Ruth Love Quayson, 18, had just completed Fijai Senior High School in Sekondi and lived with her parents at Diabene, near Sekondi. She was kidnapped on December 4, 2018, at Butumegyabu (BU) junction in Takoradi.

According to the Regional Police Commander, her parents had already paid a ransom of GH¢1,300 to the kidnappers before they also made a report to the police.

DCOP Dedjoe said Priscilla Mantebea Koranchie, aged 15, a first- year student of Sekondi College, lived with her parents at West Fijai, near Sekondi. She was kidnapped on December 21, 2018, at a spot near Nkroful junction.

“The parents had also paid a ransom of GH¢1,000 to the kidnappers before they made a report to the police”, the Regional Police Commander pointed out.

One Suspect Arrested

DCOP Dedjoe added that on December 22, 2018, at about 4am, the accused person, Samuel Udoetuk Wills, a 28- year-old Nigerian national, was arrested from his hideout on the outskirts of Kansaworodo through intensive investigations by the police.

“Catalogues of calls between the accused and the victims were analyzed and police established connections of the accused to the three kidnapped cases. He gave several leads to the police but when the police followed up, they were found to be false,” he mentioned.

The Regional Police Commander added that on December 24, 2018, the accused was put before the District Magistrate Court in Takoradi and was remanded in police custody for investigations to continue and was asked to return to court on January 9, 2019.

Suspect Escape From Cell

DCOP Dedjoe told the media that on December 30, 2018, at about 6:25pm, while the accused was in police cells, he managed to escape through one of the ventilation windows of the cells.

“He used hacksaw blade to cut the 5/8 iron rods used to secure the ventilation windows and escaped through it”, he added.

He continued: “On January 3, 2019, the police recaptured the accused at Kansaworodo in an uncompleted building. A search conducted around the building where he was recaptured revealed the dress, headgear and the rubber slippers of the third victim, Priscilla Koranchie.”

He said the clues they have followed so far gives the police no doubt that the suspect is connected to the crime.

He appealed to the public to assist the police to unravel the case.