T’di Missing Girls: Police action ‘ridiculous’ – Ablakwa

Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has expressed worry over the uncertainty of the Ghana Police Service, particularly the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), on the whereabouts of the kidnapped girls of Takoradi.

According to him, how the police administration has managed the stance on the missing girls is disgraceful describing it as “ridiculous”.

He further called for a special Commission to be put together to look into issues of the Takoradi missing girls to help bring an end to the troubling matter.

”With the ways the CID has handled the case of the missing girls, I suggest there should be a special Commission to take over the search of the matter. There are times that as a country, we have solicited for external support in several security matter, let’s do for these young girls too. Things are getting worse by the day” he said on JoyNews’ Programme Newsfile.

Missing Girls

Two of the ladies, 15-year old Priscilla Mantebea Koranchie and 18-year old Ruth Love Quayson went missing in December last year, whilst 21-year old Priscilla Blessing Bentum went missing as far back as August 2018.

So far one person, Nigerian Samuel Oudotek Wills suspected to have kidnapped the three girls in Takoradi is standing trial for the offence

In February this year, he dominated the headlines when he revealed before court that a police investigator helped him to break jail.

He told the court he does not know the name of the said officer but he can identify him insisting that besides that officer, one Kwesi helped him with oil which facilitated his cutting of the metal bars used to barricade the windows of the cell.

Over the period, residents in the metropolis have voiced concern over the pace at which investigations have progressed.

Some groups have held protests and also petitioned the President and the Sekondi Regional Coordinating Council over the case.

Already, Child Right International, a child-centred organisation has waded into the controversy hinted of their intention to petition Parliament before the end of this month over the handling of the case.

They also said they will seek other options of handling the case which has left victims families the three girls traumatized.

Child Rights International Executive Director, Mr Bright Kweku Appiah, made this known when he led the organization to the families of the three girls at their respective houses said as a father himself, he understood the trauma and pain the families of the girls were going through and urged them to keep hoping and trusting the police to bring closure to the case

Mr Appiah assured the families of the organization’s support and expressed the hope that the police would bring back the girls

CID Speaks

At a news conference on April 2, 2019, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department, DCOP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah told reporters that the Police have discovered the whereabouts of the three girls and are closer to bringing them home.

“We know where the girls are,” she stated.

But spokesman for families of the three kidnapped girls, Michael Hayford Grant, in an interview with Citi News’ said the action is due to the failure of the police to bring back the girls.

“We are going to the headquarters to call Madam Tiwaa to lead us to where the three girls are. She is saying she knows where the girls are. They should locate the girls. We are not going to fight anybody but we are going to hold Madam Tiwaa responsible,” he said.

The anxious families have spent the last few months protesting and demanding urgency from the CID but officials have asked the families to remain steadfast as they continue investigations.

Assurance

Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the new Western Regional Minister has assured the public of government’s eagerness to reunite the girls with their families.

He noted that the police had engaged in a frantic search for girls adding that, “I want to assure all the residents that together with the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the security agencies, we will definitely bring back the kidnapped girls.”

The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) recently took over investigations into the kidnapping of the three girls.

Security personnel from the United Kingdom and the USA are also helping the police.