Takoradi kidnappings: Bright Oduro calls for dialogue with victims' families over burial of remains

The conviction of Samuel Udeotuk Wills and John Orji for the disappearance and subsequent killing of the Takoradi girls was expected to bring closure and bring finality to the 3-year-old case.

Sadly it doesn't seem to be the situation.

A former Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Bright Oduro, is strongly urging the Police Service to open dialogue with the families of the girls on the burial of the remains.

Owing to the state of denial some of the families are still in, COP retired Oduro says only such an engagement will bring true finality to the case.

Speaking to Citi News, COP retired Oduro said “These were girls that were picked up and murdered in cold blood. I have spoken on this issue before when I advocated for the physical identification and DNA to be done to conclude the matter”.

“Now the court has ruled, but some family members are in a state of denial. I think what can be done is for the police to sit with the family and discuss, prove that indeed the DNA’s match those of their children, and then they can go ahead to bury them properly,” he said.

Family of Ruth Abaka rejects court’s verdict

The family of Ruth Abaka, one of the four Takoradi girls who were kidnapped and murdered has rejected the verdict in the trial of the main suspects.

According to the family, the suspects have not confessed to the murder of the girls, hence there were no grounds for the court's ruling.

The Sekondi High Court Presided over by Justice Richard Agyei Frimpong on Friday, March 5, 2021, sentenced to death the two main suspects, Sam Udeotuk Wills, and John Orji, for their involvement in the kidnapping and murder of the four girls.

But in an interview with Citi News, the grandmother of Ruth Abaka, Veronica Anzah Kwabena said the family believes that she is alive.

“I am not convinced. The suspects never admitted to killing the girls, so on what grounds are they being charged with murder? Besides, we, the family of Ruth have not admitted the bones presented to us as the remains of our daughter. I believe that my granddaughter is alive. We can't just close the case by declaring the suspects guilty and sentencing them to death.”

---citinewsroom