Police in the Eastern Region are on a manhunt for five suspects who robbed and kidnapped two persons at Teye Nkwanta near Okorase, a suburb close to Koforidua.
The suspects, who were part of a gang of eight, attacked a house belonging to a traditional priest in the area, took away a taxi cab, TV sets, sound systems and GHc14,000 and in the process kidnapped two members of the household.
[contextly_sidebar id=”dT3IQ4kFnmlTGznsqcdDaEbk7RZ3Bgm9″]Police and a team from the Eastern Regional Counter Terrorism Unit with the help of townsfolk at Ayisikrom in a rescue operation managed to rescue the two victims and in the process arrested three of the kidnappers in a forest near Ayisikrom.
Police said the traditional priest, Emmanuel Sarpong, reported that his wife had been attacked by eight men armed with cutlasses and other weapons.
Confirming the incident to Citi News, the Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ebenezer Tetteh, said the command is investigating the matter to apprehend the remaining six suspects who are currently on the run.
He said the robbers made away with a television set, three sound speakers and an amplifier.
“According to him [the traditional priest] the suspects caused damage to his sliding glass door and window, and two wooden doors all valued GHc3,550.00. They also made away with his cash sum of GHc14,000. The suspects again assaulted and kidnapped his son, Eric Amponsah, 34-years, and his taxi driver by name Enock Addo, 26-years. He said the robbers also took away the taxi cab,” DSP Ebenezer Tetteh added.
According to the victims, the kidnappers demanded GHc40,000 as a ransom for the release of the abducted victims.
“The kidnappers forced the victim Enock Addo to call his brother to send money for his release. His brother could only send GHC 700.00, but after the kidnappers received the money they did not release Enock Addo,” police said.
But on June 23, 2019, operatives of RCID and CTU personnel acted upon intelligence and moved to rescue the victims at the Ayisikrom forest near Nankese.
At about 3.00 pm that day, the search team encountered the eight kidnappers with the victims but were able to arrest only two of the kidnappers.
The two victims were rescued and the taxi cab was also retrieved.
After the arrest, the suspects led Police to an uncompleted building on the outskirt of Ayisikrom where all the items stolen from the house of the complainant, as mentioned above, were retrieved.