Police are investigating the alleged kidnapping of a middle-aged man near Kukuo in the Nanumba South District of the Northern Region.
Forty-year-old Alhaji Ibrahim reportedly went missing at his residence last week around 12 AM.
According to the brother of the victim, Adams, the kidnappers demanded GHS50,000 as ransom which was paid.
But before the kidnapping, Adams said their family was being tormented by the would-be kidnappers.
Two months ago, he said an unknown number called Alhaji asked him to pay GHS10,000 or be killed.
He reported it to a friend who advised him to change his number which according to him, he did.
But less than a week after changing his number, he said another call came into the new line warning him to pay the money.
According to the brother, this has been going on until March 8 when in the middle of the night the kidnappers came to his house, fired warning shots and then abducted Alhaji.
The incident was reported to police who later found Alhaji’s clothes and expressed fears that he may have been killed.
But Adams then received the ransom call with Alhaji also pleading with his family to meet the kidnappers’ demands.
“At this time the kidnappers instructed us to bring GHS50,000 else Alhaji will be killed. They said if we are ready, they will direct us to where we can drop the money.”
“We pleaded with them and the following day his friends went to the bank and brought the money. They directed us to follow Bimbilla Damanko road. We followed the road in the middle of the night at around 2 am. We got to a place, a call came asking us to drop the money in the middle of the road and go to a certain place to meet our brother,” Adam narrated.
According to Adams, they eventually paid the ransom on March 10, 2020 but did not see Alhaji despite following the instructions.
But a day later, he was released around Nkwanta mountains in the Oti Region.
“We got to the place, Alhaji was not there and the call came again that we should go they will release him. We were scared and frightened. We waited for a whole day he was not released until the following day at around 8 am when another person called that he has seen our brother in the bush. He brought him to meet us on the way. Alhaji was so exhausted and very weak and he is currently under medical observation.”
DSP Yussifu Yahaya, the Wulensi district police commander, updated Citi News on the investigation and said the Criminal Investigations Department was looking into the alleged kidnapping.
They are however yet to formally speak to the Alhaji.
“Yes the case was reported to the police and we have been on it. My CID is investigating the matter. The man after his release has been very weak and he is currently receiving medical attention, we are waiting for him to get better so we take statements from him,” DSP Yahaya stated.