2 Nigerians Grabbed For Kidnapping

Victor Aniete Solomon and Michael Udoh (left)
Two Nigerians have appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly kidnapping an eight- year-old boy.

The accused, Victor Anietie Solomon Sunday, 21, private security man and Michael Udoh 14, mobile phone seller, are said to have agreed and acted together with a common purpose to kidnap and imprison the boy.

At the trial yesterday in the court presided over Ms Sedina Agbemeva, Sunday pleaded guilty to the charges while Udoh denied them.

Explaining, Sunday said he and Udoh decided to embark on the act because they wanted money to go back to Nigeria.

The trial judge said that the explanation could not be a defence and accordingly deferred sentencing to July 8.

Udoh was also admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢2,000 with two sureties.

Ms Agbemeva adjourned the case to July 31.
Prosecuting, Detective Inspector Samuel Sarkwa said the complainant, one Samuel Aidoo, is a mason/carpenter residing at Ofankor with his family while Sunday, who has no fixed place of abode, sleeps at the Achimota lorry park - all in Accra.

He said Sunday is a native of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria who came to Ghana in April 2014 in the guise of looking for a job.

Prosecution said Udoh also came from the same State to Ghana in June 2014 to look for a job, adding that the two got to know each other at the Achimota lorry park and became friends.

He said the two agreed to make money by kidnapping little children, taking them to a secluded place and informing their relatives that they had found the children and as such should bring money for their (children's) release.

Detective Insp. Sarkwa said the two decided to go to the Latter Day Saint Church at Achimota where they could get access to some of the Sunday school children, indicating that they attended the church for the first time where they took part in the Communion Service.

The prosecutor said according to Sunday, they had pity on the children and could not carry out their plan until June 22 when he (Sunday) sighted the victim - son of the complainant - outside and lured him out of the church premises in the guise of taking snap-shots of him with his mobile phone, which was in his house at Achimota.

The victim followed him, the prosecutor continued, adding that instead of the Achimota lorry park, Sunday took the child to Tudu at the Aflao lorry park and begged for arms, out of which he bought some food for the innocent child.

Detective Insp. Sarkwa said Sunday took the child to Aflao and kept him in a house until he called the Bishop of Achimota branch of the Latter Day Saints Church, telling him that he had found the missing child who was with him at Aflao and as such, should bring GH¢10,000 before he could get his child back.

D. Insp. Sarkwa further told the court that the message was sent to the father who on Monday, June 23, called Sunday, who repeated the same statement he had made to the bishop, adding that he began to send threatening messages to the father who made a report to the police, leading to Sunday's arrest while he was with the child at Aflao. Udoh was subsequently nabbed.

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By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson