Use ‘Usain Bolt speed’ in rescuing Canadian girls to rescue Takoradi girls – Families

The families of the three girls kidnapped in Takoradi in 2018 have accused the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies of neglecting the victims almost a year after the incident.

The aggrieved families have wondered what is causing the delay in reuniting the Ghanaian girls with their families.

At a press conference on Monday, 15 July 2018, the families said the police service kept them in the dark.

A statement jointly signed by Mr Michael Koranchie, Mr Michael Hayford and Nana Adjowa Quayson, said: “The families of the kidnapped victims and thousands of concerned Ghanaians are totally dismayed at the turn of events, especially the silent posture being portrayed by the government on this crucial subject”.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, what is most shocking is how the Ghana police service/national security operatives were able to gather all arsenal to rescue the two missing Canadian nationals with the speed of light after they were reported missing.

“So, we ask: why can't the same security agencies in the country use that ‘Usain bolt’ speed to bring back our girls?”

The families also urged the police to stop issuing false information to the media on the back of earlier reports that the whereabouts of the girls was known, a statement which was later retracted by the police.

The kidnapped girls are 18-year-old Priscilla Mantebea Koranchie, last seen on 21 December 2018; 21-year-old Priscilla Blessing Bentum, last seen on 17 August 2018; and 18-year-old Ruth Love Quayson, last seen on 4 December 2018.

Government officials have assured the families and the nation that all efforts are being put in place to find the girls.

The Minister for the Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery, told journalists on Wednesday, 20 March 2019, on the sidelines of the annual review of his ministry’s 2018 activities that the country’s laws on privacy are hindering progress in finding the girls.

Below is the full statement of the families:

Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the media.

Thank you very much for answering our call under very short notice.

We the families of the three kidnapped Sekondi/Takoradi girls called this August press conference to make a passionate appeal through your various media to as a matter of urgency address the issues surrounding the kidnappings that have thrown the entire Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis into a state of shock, sombreness and apprehension

The families of the kidnapped victims and thousands of concerned Ghanaians are totally dismayed at the turn of events especially the silent posture being portrayed by the government on this crucial subject.

On April 2, 2019, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana police service led by COP Tiwaa Addo -Danquah organised a press conference to tell the whole country that "we know where the girls are. They are safe and they will be brought home soon" only for her to make a U-turn after media backslash to say that she was misunderstood and that she only said that to comfort the grieving family? Wow!

Secondly, a Ghanaweb publication of June 17, 2019, captioned missing tadi girls are alive and fine, rescuing mission is underway to bring them home which was attributed to the National Security Minister Hon Bryan Acheampong has been over a month now without a glimmer of hope.

Furthermore, in an interview monitored on ABC News in Ghana, the National Security Minister indicated that the location of the girls is known and that the security agencies are working assiduously to bring them to their families I think that in terms of where the investigation is leading us, I know we know where they are and so people of the media we put this question, if you know where the girls are, why don't you go and bring them. It is not as easy as that and that is where we want to clarify so you don't put it in the minds of people of Ghana that "we say we know where they are" as false and misleading. We know the country that we are and we are doing everything possible to bring them back he said.

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, what is most shocking is how the Ghana police service/National Security Operatives were able to gather all arsenal to rescue the two missing Canadian nationals with the speed of light three weeks after they were reported missing.

So we ask, why can't the same security agencies in the country use that "Usain bolt" speed to bring back our girls?

The first suspect Samuel Willis stated earlier in his statement that, the second suspect John Oji knows the whereabouts of our girls and that should he (Oji) be found, he could show where the girls are.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, it has been over a month since the arrest of this second suspect, yet no information has come from the suspect himself nor the police.

As we hold this press conference, the families of the three missing girls are so desperate for news about their daughters and their whereabouts. This is giving us sleepless nights with its attendant health implications.

It's been about 12 months since the first victim, Priscilla Bentum was Kidnapped in August 2018 before the two others, Priscilla Mantebea Koranchie and Ruth Love Quayson followed respectively in December of the same year.

Matters relating to the rescue of these 3 girls have sparked so many controversies and aroused very deep sympathy and sentiments amongst Ghanaians yet no major headway has been made so far as information available to the affected families is concerned.

From the aforementioned, the affected families would want to state the following:

1. The Ghana Police Service and Government officials should stop raising our hopes and later come to dash them as have been the case all these while. They should also stop the false reportage to you the media about the case.

2. We want the Authorities to investigate who aided Samuel Wills the first suspect to escape from the Takoradi Central Police Station as he stated he was aided by a police officer. Two police officers have since been transferred from the division.

3. Stop the kangaroo court hearing that the state is running thereby keeping the aggrieved families in the dark.

We are calling on all our statesmen, the present and past presidents of Ghana, the Christian counsel of Ghana, the Muslim community, Civil Society Groups and the diplomatic missions to intervene for us because the desperation and the perplexity are simply weighing us down not to talk of the toll being taken on us by the deafening silence of the government and our security Agencies

We know God will do it, but he does it through human being but our fear is when the human being is not ready to be used

Thank you all

Long live Ghana

#FindOurGals

Michael Koranchie

Michael Hayford

Nana Adjowa Quayson