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15.02.2007 Crime & Punishment

Police Look For Alleged Kidnapper

By Daily Graphic
Police Look For Alleged Kidnapper
15.02.2007 LISTEN

The police in Kumasi are hunting for a student who is suspected to have kidnapped a five-year-old boy.

The student, identified as Francis Boateng, was said to have picked the boy (name withheld), a pupil of the Pentecost Preparatory School at Old Amakom, a Kumasi surburb, from his classroom during school hours, took him to a secret hideout and demanded a ¢15 million ransom from the parents before releasing him.

When the police got wind of the criminal intentions of Boateng, they mounted a search for him, but he abandoned the boy at a lonely place and fled.

The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Frank Adu Poku in a press briefing said, On February 6, 2007, Daniel Oppong Gyan, father of the 5-year-old boy, reported to the police that his son had been kidnapped from his classroom.

Explaining, DCOP Adu Poku said when Mr Oppong Gyan went to the school to pick his son, he was no where to be found, and upon enquiries, was told that an unknown young man came to pick the boy from school.

He said later in the day, Mr Oppong Gyan received a call from a stranger claiming that the boy was with him.

DCOP Adu Poku said the caller demanded an amount of ¢15 million as ransom before releasing the child, and when the police got wind of the incident, started hunting for the suspect.

According to Mr Adu Poku, on February 7 , a certain woman saw the child loitering, so she picked him and handed him over to the police who also handed him over to his father.

He gave the assurance that the police would soon arrest the kidnapper and arraign him before court.

He however expressed concern about the negligence of the school authorities and their teachers which, he said led to the kidnapping of the little boy, and therefore cautioned them to be vigilant to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future.

In another development, the Konongo police have arrested a 32-year-old Mercedez Benz bus driver and his mate for allegedly concealing quantities of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp in their vehicle.

The driver, Job Jonah Apam, together with his mate, Tijani Yakubu, are currently in police custody, pending further investigations.

The dried leaves which were concealed in four big bags, were found under the seats, with passengers on board.

DCOP Adu Poku said the police, acting on a tip off that armed robbers were on board a Mercedes Benz bus with registration number AS 3033 U to Accra, intercepted the vehicle, and upon a search, found the bags containing the dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

He said the police immediately arrested the driver and his mate, but upon interrogation, they refused to name the owner of the substances.

The Police commander said the driver rather gave excuses that the vehicle was taken away by a loading boy to a destination in Kumasi and later returned with the substances already on board.

Story by Serwah Nkyira Opoku & Annabella Sarfo Mireku.

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