Xmas Turns Sour For Prez's Bodyguard

The celebration of Christmas turned into a nightmare last Sunday for ASP Emmanuel Adade, the personal bodyguard of President John Evans Atta Mills, when his three children were killed in a motor accident near Akosombo.

The children were travelling from their home town, Anum in the Eastern Region, to Accra, together with their father and their mother, who were in a separate vehicle, when their vehicle burst a front tyre and somersaulted, leading to the instant death of one of them, while the two others died at the VRA Hospital at Akosombo.

ASP Adade lost his first wife almost two years ago, also in a motor accident, and two of the children who died in the Sunday accident were said to be the children of his new wife.

The deceased were Esinam Adade, 10, Duodo Adade, 15 and Juliana Adade, who were in an Opel Pontra vehicle with their elder brother Desmond Adade, 25 (who was driving), and another boy identified as Nathaniel Osei, 15.

Desmond and Osei also had serious injuries and were rushed to the VRA Hospital at Akosombo but were later transferred to the Police Hospital in Accra together with the bodies of the deceased.

Briefing the Daily Graphic at Koforidua, the Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Ransford Ninson, said ASP Adade and his family went to his hometown, Anum in the Volta Region, to spend the Christmas.

He said while they were travelling back to Accra, one of the tyres of the Opel Pontra on which the children were travelling got burst between Osiabura and Asikuma.

DCOP Ninson said Desmond applied the brakes but the vehicle somersaulted several times before landing upside down.

Sources at the Castle said the Presidency was deeply shocked by the reported accident.