Three persons arrested in Koforidua for kidnapping and robbery

Three persons have been arrested and detained by the Eastern Regional Police command for allegedly robbing a fetish priest and subsequently abducting his son and driver.

The suspects are among a gang of eight criminals who attacked the home of Emmanuel Sarpong, the fetish priest at Tei-Nkwanta, a suburb of Koforidua last Saturday and robbed him of his properties, assaulted occupants in the house and abducted his son and driver.

Eastern Regional Police PRO, DSP Ebenezer Tetteh said the fetish priest who is popularly known as Nana Hiamankyene, who had travelled on the day of the incident reported that the suspects broke into his room and made away with his 42 inches Nasco flat screen television set worth GHC 1,800.00, three sound speakers valued GHC 1,500.00 and one sound power amplifier also valued GHC 800.00.

Additionally, the statement said the suspects caused damage to his sliding glass door and window, and two wooden doors all valued GHC 3,550.00.

According to the police they also made away with a cash sum of GHC 14,000.00, assaulted and kidnapped his 34-year-old son, Eric Amponsah as well as his taxi driver by name Enock Addo, 26 years.

As if that was not enough, the suspects also took away his green and Yellow coloured taxi cab with registration number ER 418 - 16.

The Police had information that the suspects used the Mangoase road but the police were unsuccessful in their attempt to arrest the suspects.

The suspects, according to the complainant called him and demanded GHC 40,000.00 ransom before they would release the victims, explaining that the kidnappers succeeded in getting an amount of Ghc700 after they forced one of the victims, Enock Addo to call his brother to send money before he could be released. But after the kidnappers received the money they failed to release the victim.

DSP Tetteh stated, however, that a day after the incident about 6.30 am, operatives of police Criminal Investigate Department and Counter Terrorism Unit acted upon intelligence and moved to forest at Ayisikrom, a village near Nankese in a rescue operation.

He said the kidnappers renewed their demand for more ransom from the complainant.

This time the amount had been negotiated to GHC 37,000.

Mr. Tetteh said during the rescue operation, the suspects had abandoned the stolen Cab in forest and were retrieved to a safe place.

According to him, the police team with the assistance of some village folks within Ayisikrom and the surrounding villages encountered the suspects but were able to arrest two of them while the remaining six managed to escape.

The police PRO confirmed rescuing the victims.

The two suspects are Kwadwo Asare 22 years, and Fatawu Lukeman 27 years.

The police boss also confirmed the arrest of 33-year-old Felix Yaw Tettey, a third suspect from his hideout on Monday.

He said one of the suspect's, Kwadwo Asare who sustained injuries during his arrest by the village youth is under strict police guard at the regional hospital in Koforidua where he is receiving treatment.

According to him, the suspects led the Police to an uncompleted building at the outskirt of Ayisikrom where all the items stolen from the house of the complainant were retrieved.

The suspects told the police after their arrest that they were recruited to undertake the operation by their leader who is called "Igboman".