Police arrest key suspect in Wapuli kidnapping case

The Northern Regional Police Intelligence Directorate (PID) has arrested a key suspect in connection with the Wapuli kidnapping case after weeks of sustained intelligence-led operations.

The suspect, identified as Hoyeefe Amadu, was arrested at about 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at his hideout in a village about 10 kilometres from Watugu, a suburb of Gushegu.

A press statement signed by Chief Inspector Alhassan Luckman Niendow, the Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, said the arrest marked a breakthrough in efforts to dismantle the kidnapping syndicate.

The statement recalled that on December 6, 2025, a PID team rescued a 42-year-old man who had been kidnapped at Wapuli, leading to the arrest of three suspects believed to be members of a four-man gang.

It said the victim sustained life-threatening cutlass wounds, and the perpetrators collected a GH¢90,000 ransom out of a demanded GH¢100,000 as a condition for his release.

“Police were, however, able to retrieve GH¢70,000 of the ransom during the operation,” the statement said.

It said that despite the initial arrests, Police intensified intelligence gathering and sustained a manhunt for the remaining accomplice, culminating in the arrest of the fourth and key suspect.

The statement said the three earlier suspects had since been remanded into prison custody and were expected to reappear before court.

It assured members of the public of the Police Administration’s continued commitment to ensuring public safety and bringing perpetrators of violent crime to justice.