But for the quick response of the headteacher of the Donewell Methodist Academy at Effie Kuma in Takoradi, two girls would have been added to the statistics of missing children by now.
A teacher of the school, Florence Ekua Egyir, recounting the incident to Paa Kwesi Simpson on Connect FM’s Omanbapa Morning Show, said the girls, aged 3 and 8 were on their way to school in the company of their 11 year old sister, on Wednesday, November 14 when the unidentified woman hatched, albeit failed attempt, to kidnap them.
The three girls were stopped by the woman in her 40s, when they reached the Effie Kuma night market. She gave the eldest girl a one cedi note to buy an egg for her siblings whilst she keeps watch over them.
The girl however returned to meet the absence of the woman. Her siblings as well as her personal school bag were nowhere to be found.
In tears, she ran to school to inform the headteacher who quickly instructed the whole school to go into the community and search for the two missing children.
Luck shined on them when they saw the two children wearing the school’s uniform in the company of the woman, moving away from the community.
They gave her a hot chase but the woman sensing that she had been caught, absconded, leaving the children behind. The children were then sent to the school for safety.
Miss Florence Ekua Egyir is therefore advising parents and guardians to be mindful and educate their children on how to relate to strangers.