Kpando Court jails woman three years for abducting eight-month-old baby

The Kpando Circuit Court has sentenced 31-year-old Stella Amedorme to three years imprisonment with hard labour after she pleaded guilty to abducting an eight-month-old child.

The court, presided over by Her Honour Diana Dzifa Amefinu, found Amedorme guilty on Monday, August 3, 2026, after she admitted to the child abduction charges brought against her.

According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on Thursday, July 16, 2026, when Gloria Mansah Dzagbo reported that her eight-month-old son, Joel Dzidefo Acheampong, had been taken from her under false pretences at the Kpando Market.

The complainant told police that she was at the market selling groundnuts when her baby, who was strapped to her back, began crying. The suspect, who was later identified as Amedorme, offered to hold the child temporarily to allow her to complete a transaction.

The prosecution said after three bowls of groundnuts had been measured, the complainant informed Amedorme that she needed to get additional stock from another shop because her available supply had run out.

Trusting the suspect, the mother left her child in Amedorme’s care while she went to collect the remaining groundnuts. However, upon her return, she found that both the suspect and the child had disappeared.

Following the report, the Ghana Police Service activated its missing child response procedures, including circulating the child’s photograph through police communication channels nationwide and alerting relevant units to assist in tracing the suspect and rescuing the child.

The suspect was later arrested on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at her hideout in Bowiri Toviate in the Oti Region after she allegedly introduced the child to her boyfriend as their biological son.

Amedorme was subsequently arraigned before the Kpando Circuit Court and remanded into police custody after the case was adjourned on July 20 and July 27 for further proceedings.

The prosecution said the successful recovery of the child and arrest of the suspect followed coordinated efforts by the police and other relevant authorities.