{"id":2191,"date":"2019-01-23T10:09:04","date_gmt":"2019-01-23T10:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aptnewsghana.com\/?p=2191"},"modified":"2019-01-23T10:09:12","modified_gmt":"2019-01-23T10:09:12","slug":"bringbackourtaadigirls-police-not-being-proactive-security-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aptnewsghana.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/23\/bringbackourtaadigirls-police-not-being-proactive-security-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"#BringBackOurTaadiGirls: police not being proactive – Security Expert"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A\n security expert following the bizarre story of some three kidnapped \nladies in Takoradi has faulted the police for not being proactive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Justine\n Bayor, a Security and Conflict Resolution Analyst, said the failure of \nthe police to draw out public support to finding the three ladies is the\n reason they remain missing after five months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\n were expecting the police to be proactive by calling on the public to \ncome and volunteer information,\u201d he said on current affairs programme, PM Express<\/strong>, on MultiTV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police in Takoradi in the Western Region say although they have been trying to get a key suspect in the kidnapping case to disclose the whereabouts of the girls, they have made little progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commander Redeemer Vincent Dedzo told Joy News that the suspect, Samuel Wilson Udoterg \u2013 a Nigerian \u2013 who has been in their custody for weeks, refused to reveal the exact location of the girls and there is nothing the they can do about it.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\n have tried all means to talk to him. In the initial stages, he took us \nto Kasoa [Central region suburb] and we combed the whole of Kasoa yet he\n could not lead us to where the victims are. He is not even ready to \ntalk. He will tell you he doesn\u2019t know where the victims are,\u201d the \npolice commander stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Photo:\n The three girls, Ruth Quayson, Mantsebea Koranchie and Priscilla \nBentum, were among seven girls that were kidnapped by the Samuel last \nyear.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fail<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The police have, however, failed to get the suspect who broke jail once and has been re-arrested<\/a> to talk, accusing him instead of leading them on a wild goose chase at Kasoa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Civil\n society groups, gender activists and some lawyers have questioned the \nattitude of the police\u2019s handling the case, but Commander said such \ncriticisms were unfortunate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking on PM Express<\/strong> on Tuesday evening, the Justine Bayor said whatever strategy the police had to find the girls should have included getting the support of the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\n does not necessarily need to be about publishing the pictures of the \npeople. But they could have easily gone on the radio or the television \nstation to ask for support from the public and based on the kind of \ninformation they get from the public, they can then decide what steps to\n take next,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said five months is too long for three girls to go missing without a full blown out campaign to bring them back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou need to act swiftly\u2026as far as I am concerned…the police should even be able to inform us and keep the public updated about what they are doing, without even divulging any kind of information,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Summon<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vice\n Chairman of Parliament\u2019s Defence and Interior Committee, Collins Owusu \nAmankwah, who was also on the show said his Committee has always taken \ninterest in such issues, especially because it borders on the security \nof Ghanaians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe do invite police\n to furnish the committee especially when there are issues and how far \nthey have gone with the issues. So kidnapping as a crime will definitely\n be featured prominently when we summon police high command,\u201d he \nrevealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n