Police arrest kidnapper after baiting him with MoMo

The Akim Oda District Police Command in the Eastern Region has arrested a 19-year-old suspected Kidnapper on his way to withdraw Mobile Money sent to him by Police to lure him.

The suspect, Ebenezer Okoh, a Senior High School dropout from Atweaman SHS allegedly kidnapped a nine(9) year old boy from Akim Esuboa and sent him to Akim Asene to lodge in a Hotel.

The victim was abducted on his way home after he went to ease himself at a toilet facility having attended a fundraising harvest organized by the Akim Esuboa Community with his ten (10 )year old sibling.

The ten-year-old brother of the victim narrated the incident to the mother Marry Baah. Shortly, at about 1:00 pm she received an anonymous call from MTN number 0241936743 with a male voice which informed her that her son had been kidnapped to an unknown location and demanded a ransom GHc 5,000 to be sent through Mobile Money before the victim will be released

The traumatized mother pleaded with the suspect that she did not have money, therefore, could only afford sending GH¢50 which the suspect agreed but failed to release the victim after the money was sent.

The Mother reported the incident to the Police on the fateful day of February 16, 2020. The Akim Oda Police having taken photo records of the suspect, disguised and sent mobile money to the suspect’s phone, trailed and laid an ambush.

Few minutes later, the suspect emerged with the victim in an attempt to withdraw the money at a mobile money merchant where he was arrested.

The Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Police Command, Sergent Francis Gomado, confirming the arrest to Starr News added that the victim narrated to the Police that the suspect accosted him on his way from toilet, at the outskirt of town, and told him to lead him to Akim Manso (neighbouring town) because he was a stranger from Accra. He added from Manso where they went in ‘Trotro’, the suspect took him to Akim Asene, the next town, and then back to Akim Oda where they slept in a hotel (Bright Sky Hotel) in Jamaica suburb, till the following day.

Whilst at Asene, the suspect made him mention his mother’s Telephone number to him, and he started calling his mother.

Sergent Francis Gomado further said, the suspect, unemployed, claimed he was born in Dansoman, but currently resides in Nsuofoa village near Esuboa.

He said the suspect will be put before court.