Takoradi Girl Got Out Of Trotro To Meet Kidnapper

A friend of one of the Takoradi girls who were kidnapped and killed by some suspected Nigerians, sparking national outrage, has revealed how her friend cut short her travel for a job search to meet an unknown person.

Stacy Damptey told the Sekondi High Court in the Western Region trying the kidnapping and murder of four Takoradi girls that she and Ruth Love Quayson were travelling from Diabene to Takoradi and Ruth Love got out of a 'trotro' midway after receiving a phone call and that was the last time she set eyes on her.

Travel Itinerary

She told the court, presided over by Justice Richard Adjei Frimpong, that she was going to the library at Takoradi when Ruth Love told her she was going for a job appointment at the MTN office at Takoradi Market Circle.

Led in evidence by Chief State Attorney Patience Klinogo, the sixth prosecution witness said as they were in the 'trotro' (commercial vehicle), Ruth Love, who was an 18-year-old former student of Fijai Senior High School, was constantly receiving telephone calls from someone.

She said she did not know the person Ruth Love was talking to but she saw that the victim, whom the police had declared dead after DNA evidence, had saved the person's name as 'Sammy N/F' on the phone.

Key Suspects

Two Nigerians — Samuel Udoetuk Wills and John Oji— are currently being tried for allegedly kidnapping and murdering the four missing girls in Takoradi, and they have all pleaded not guilty.

According to Stacy, on December 4, 2018, Ruth Love visited her to charge her phone in her (Stacy's) room and also had a shower there.

Stacy said while her close friend was bathing, her phone kept on ringing and the caller's name on the phone was 'Sammy N/F'.

She said she wanted to go to the Takoradi library and when she informed Ruth Love, she also said someone had promised to give her a job at the MTN office in Takoradi so they could go together.

Stacy indicated that while they were on board the 'trotro' vehicle, the same 'Sammy N/F' called Ruth Love and after receiving the call she said she would alight at a place called BU Junction.

“I was confused and so I asked Ruth Love why she wanted to alight around BU Junction. She told me the person she wanted to meet had asked her to alight at that place,” Stacy told the court.

Kidnapping News

She said later she got a call from the elder sister of Ruth Love who informed her that her friend had been kidnapped.

In her witness statement to the court, Stacy said Ruth Love Quayson was her childhood friend and lived adjacent to the friend's house.

She indicated that Ruth Love sometimes stayed with her in her house.

Suspects Contact

She said anytime Ruth Love left her phone with her, she could realize that particular 'Sammy N/F' would call several times.

She said when the sister told her that her friend had been kidnapped she was shocked, adding “I was shocked and devastated since Ruth Love was my close friend. I later gave a statement to the police.”

Cross-Examination

During cross-examination, the Counsel for the two suspected Nigerian kidnappers, Mark Bosia, from the Legal Aid Board, asked the witness whether she had ever met the two suspects before and she answered in the negative.

The lawyer asked, “Do you know the name saved on the victim's phone could belong to anybody?” and Stacy answered in the affirmative.

Sitting continues next Monday.

---Daily Guide