Takoradi residents hit streets over rise in kidnapping of teenage girls

Relatives of some kidnapped teenage girls on Friday hit the streets in Sekondi-Takoradi, the Western Region capital, to force authorities to fast-track efforts to bring back the girls.

The aggrieved parents were joined in the demonstration by residents of the metropolis who say the recent rise in kidnapping of girls has become disturbing.

According to Joy News’ Western Region Correspondent, Inna-Thalia Quansah, while residents say seven teenage girls have been kidnapped, police refute this claim and say only three girls have been reported kidnapped.

The demonstrators held placards that read “bring back our girls,” reminiscent of the campaign to bring back the kidnapped girls in the Nigerian town of Chibok.

Other signs read “we want answers,” in protest to what they say is the many unsolved kidnapped cases that have hit the oil-rich city.

The latest victim of the sudden wave of kidnappings includes a 16-year-old Senior High School student who was captured on August 15, 2018.

She was found the on the dawn of the next day. She could not speak when she was found close to her home, Inna-Thalia reported.

She could only write and send text messages.

According to reports, the teenager later drew a snake with two heads, signs that some have associated with rituals, waist beads and strange objects.

Another victim, a 21-year-old woman, was kidnapped and held for a long time until her family paid a GH¢4,000 ransom via mobile money to secure her release.

Notorious kidnapper

A man suspected to be behind serial kidnappings in the Western Region town was re-arrested on Friday dawn after breaking cells last week, according to Inna-Thalia

The police administration had threatened policemen on duty after Samuel Wilson Utoderg broke cells with legal action, a threat some said forced the police to re-arrest the cell breaker swiftly.

According to the police, the 28-year old escaped December 30, 2018, after he used an object to cut the iron rod for the ventilation in the cell at the Takoradi Central police station.

Seven officers on duty faced interdiction and had been given 10 days to re-capture the suspect. The police officers may now heave a sigh of relief.

His re-arrest and the suspicion that his escape may have been facilitated by some police personnel triggered the residents and relatives of the kidnapped girls to stage Friday’s protest.

Police are yet to give details on how the suspect was re-arrested but photos show the suspect bloodied in the head and without pants.

Meanwhile, the relatives of some kidnapped victims were called by the Bureau for National Investigations (BNI) officials Friday morning to identify the suspect.

Demonstrators presented the petition above to the District Police Commander over the kidnappings.