Togolese national convicted for stealing four-year-old boy from Kpedze to Accra

The Adentan Circuit Court has convicted a mason for stealing a four-year-old boy from Kpedze in the Volta Region and bringing him to Greater Accra.

David Kpandoyo, 25, a Togolese national, pleaded guilty to a charge of child stealing.

The court, presided over by Angela Attachie, convicted him on his own plea and adjourned sentencing to July 14, 2026.

Kpandoyo told the court that he had gone to a drinking spot to consume alcohol when the child approached him.

He said he gave the boy some money, took him home, and could not remember what happened afterwards because he was intoxicated.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Patience Mario, assisted by Chief Inspector Jacob Nyarko, led the prosecution.

The prosecution said the complainant, Mr Bismark Gbago, is a 52-year-old painter residing at New Legon in Accra.

The victim's mother, Ms Patience Ablordefey Afefa, is a 25-year-old hairdresser living at Kpedze in the Volta Region with the victim, a Kindergarten One pupil.

The prosecution said Kpandoyo also resided at New Legon, where he worked as a mason.

It said the victim went missing at Kpedze on July 1, 2026, at about 1800 hours.

On July 3, at about 6:30 pm, the complainant reported to the New Legon Police that he had found the four-year-old boy wandering around the area and that the child was unable to identify his home.

The prosecution said that on July 4, at about 4:00 pm, the complainant informed the Police that after announcements were made within the community, Kpandoyo came forward claiming that the boy was his son.

The complainant and Kpandoyo subsequently went to the police Station to identify the child.

However, Kpandoyo was unable to produce the child's birth certificate or lead the Police to the child's mother.

Later that day, the police received a flyer bearing the name and telephone numbers of the victim's mother, together with the child's photograph, indicating that he had gone missing from Kpedze.

The police contacted the victim's mother and asked her to report to the New Legon Police Station with the child's birth certificate and weighing card because another person was claiming to be the child's parent.

On July 6, at about 9:00 am, the victim's mother and her relatives reported to the Police Station and stated that they did not know Kpandoyo.

During investigations, Kpandoyo admitted in his cautioned statement that the victim was not his child.

He further confessed that while working at Kpedze, he stole the boy and brought him to Accra.

Source: GNA