Missing Takoradi Girls My ‘Great Regret’ –Akufo-Addo

President Akufo-Addo is grieved with the developments surrounding the abduction and murder of some four girls in Takoradi which dominated conversations in the country.

The President who described the issue as his “big regret” in the year 2019, called on the relevant stakeholders to work towards bringing finality on the matter.

He commended the police for ‘a good job’ done in locating and identifying the remains of the murdered girls.

“My big regret at the beginning of this year, one of them this year is the abduction and killing of the four girls in Takoradi. Fortunately I think the police at the end of the day, were able to do a good job locating and identifying their remains. I saw some controversies with one or two of the families about it, but it is something that I am hoping we can find closure to, as soon as possible. It is a matter of great regret to me.”

The President said this when he met with the media on Friday.

'Police can't bury our girls for us' – Families of Takoradi girls fume

Families of three of the missing Takoradi girls who were declared dead by police were in October 2019 still agitating for the release of the victims' remains after the DNA test.

The families made an appeal to the Inspector General of Police not to renege on his commitment to release the human parts for an independent DNA test.

A sister to one of the girls, Rebecca Quayson, said apart from being refused the remains, the families have also been refused hard copies of the initial police forensic results that confirmed the deaths of the girls, that had been missing for over a year.

She told Citi News that the families cannot have closure until they independently conduct DNA tests to corroborate or dispute the police report.

Background

The missing girls were declared dead by police on August 15, 2019.

The victims, Priscilla Bentum, Ryth Love Quayson, Priscilla Mantebea Kuranchie and Ruth Abakah were kidnapped in Takoradi in the Western Region between July and December 2018.

Three of human parts were found in a sewage system in Takoradi near the home of the main suspect in the case.

Police also later found a fourth set of human remains at Nkroful new site at Takoradi as part of their investigations drawing the family of another missing person, Ruth Abakah, into the case.

Samuel Udoetuk-Wills, the main suspect in the case, is already serving an 18-months sentence for escaping from jail after his initial arrest in connection with the kidnappings.

—citinewsroom