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29.01.2019 General News

Kidnappings: NPP Man urges parents to monitor their children when using phones, others 

Kidnappings: NPP Man urges parents to monitor their children when using phones, others
29.01.2019 LISTEN

A leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Takoradi Constituency of the Western Region, Bernard Oduro-Nyarko, has urged parents in the country to monitor the activities of their children when using technological gadgets like phones and the internet.

Between the months of August and December, last year, three kidnapping cases were reported to the police in Takoradi.

The first victim, Priscilla Blessing Bentum, 21, a third year student of the University of Education, Winneba, lived with her parents at Diabene, near Takoradi.

She was kidnapped on August 17, 2018, at Kansaworodo.

Her parents paid a ransom of GH¢4,500 to the kidnappers, but their daughter was not freed so they later filed a complaint to the police in Takoradi.

The second victim, Ruth Love Quayson, 18, had just completed Fijai Senior High School in Sekondi and lived with her parents at Diabene, near Sekondi.

She was kidnapped on December 4, 2018, at Butumegyabu (BU) junction in Takoradi.

Her parents paid GH¢1,300 to the kidnappers before they made a report to the police.

The third victim Priscilla Mantebea Koranchie, 15, a first-year student of Sekondi College, lived with her parents at West Fijai, near Sekondi.

She was kidnapped on December 21, 2018, at a spot near Nkroful junction.

The parents also paid GH¢1,000 to the kidnappers before they made a report to the police.

Speaking at the news conference held on Monday, 28, 2019 in Takoradi, Mr. Oduro-Nyarko believes that the love for technology by children of the current generation accounts for these kidnapping cases in the country.

"The children of this generation are very much in love with technology, which is not bad if used properly but the same medium is also being used to exploit some of them and the Police accounts on these kidnapping cases particularly regarding the three girls confirmed they were all through the mobile phone", he emphasized.

He added "According to the police, there are phone conversations which showed that the alleged kidnapper had acquaintances with the girls before they were eventually captured".

He advised "Parents should therefore take interest in the kind of phones their children uses, who they communicate with, contents of their discussions and even the websites they visits to help stop these ongoing disturbing developments".

He, therefore, urged the police to up their game to arrest the kidnappers who are behind these kidnappings in the Second-Takoradi and brought them to book.

He also called on the residents within the Sekondi-Takoradi and outside to assist the police with credible information to arrest these kidnappers.

"As residents we all have a duty to provide not only credible but timely information to the Police to help their work since security is a shared

responsibility", he urged.
He used the occasion to commend the media in Sekondi-Takoradi for their key role they have been playing so far for alerting the security agencies about the kidnappings in the area.

I would want to commend you all gathered and those who couldn’t make it for the good working you are doing in helping to shape our nation.

The media in Sekondi-Takoradi has proven once again that you are capable of delivering credible and timely information and you deserve

commendation.
Below is the full statement
PRESS STATEMENT BY BERNARD ODURO-NYARKO ON THE RECENT KIDNAPPING CASES IN SEKONDI-TAKORADI.

28TH JANUARY, 2019
Media,
Thank you for making time to be here for this presser although the notice was short.

I would want to commend you all gathered and those who couldn’t make it for the good working you are doing in helping to shape our nation.

The media in Sekondi-Takoradi has proven once again that you are capable of delivering credible and timely information and you deserve

commendation.
Your role so far in the recent kidnapping cases in Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis which has now caught national and even international

attention gives further credence to the fact that we have a strong media force pushing the agenda of this region.

I have been following media leads and reports on recent kidnapping cases in this metropolis and I must say that it’s not only shameful but barbaric and very alien and must be condemned by all.

I sympathize with parents whose kids have been kidnapped and pray the Lord will give them strength in these trying times. I am more than

convinced that the girls are alive and will be brought back safely.

As a native of this city, when the news broke out of an alleged kidnapping case, I regarded it as one of those social media stunt but when subsequent reports confirmed the incidents, I was taken aback and shock to marrow of my bone. This is because, it was too foreign, a news to hear in Sekondi-Takoradi.

The Sekondi-Takordi that we were born into was generally peaceful, full of fun and one could walk about freely with no fear of attack or kidnap but recent stories about this city seem the trend has changed.

The disappearance of the three girls Priscilla Blessing Beentum, a 21 year-old third year student of University of Education-Winneba, whom according to the Police was captured on August 17, 2018 at Kansawrodo and subsequent abduction of two other girls Ruth Love Quayson who has just completed Fijai Senior High School and Priscilla Mantebea

Korankye, a first year student of Sekondi College in December last year have been a devastating news to me.

Subsequent to these, there are also reports of kidnap and failed kidnapping attempts on other children and even grownups and recent

reports of a young boy who was allegedly kidnapped and his dead body found around the Monkey Hill area in Takoradi has now made life in this metro quite scary because no one knows when these people will strike again and who probably is their next target.

It is sad that these issues are occurring and the reported number of cases are growing each day and reports further suggests these perpetrators are expanding their operation and gradually going region-wide.

I would want to use this opportunity to urge parents to take keen interest in the whereabouts of their wards at all times and what they do.

The children of this generation are very much in love with technology, which is not bad if used properly but the same medium is also being used to exploit some of them and the Police accounts on these kidnapping cases particularly regarding the three girls confirmed they were all through the mobile phone.

According to the police, there are phone conversations which showed that the alleged kidnapper had acquaintances with the girls before they were eventually captured.

Parents should therefore take interest in the kind of phones their children uses, who they communicate with, contents of their discussions and even the websites they visits to help stop these ongoing disturbing developments.

I would also urge the Police to up their game to help bring the faces behind these kidnapping cases to book. I have confidence in the Police to do a good job and commend you for the headway you have made in this matter including the arrest of a suspect who is a Nigerian National Sam Udoetuk Wills. I am therefore appealing that they speed up the investigation processes to help not only to arrest other possible members of the syndicate but also bring the girls back.

As residents we all have a duty to provide not only credible but timely information to the Police to help their work since security is a shared

responsibility.
I therefore at this junction join calls that our girls must be brought back.

#BringOurTaadiGirlsBack
Thank you all once again for coming.
Bernard Oduro-Nyarko
NPP Takoradi Constituency Member
Tel: 0244 61 3458
Source: Daniel Kaku

Daniel Kaku
Daniel Kaku

Western Regional ContributorPage: DanielKaku

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