3 more suspects arrested over kidnapping of Canadian women
Three more persons have been arrested by the Ashanti Regional Police in connection with the kidnapping of the two Canadian women in Kumasi last week.
They are Masaud Ibrahim, Moro Issaka and Yusif Mohammed.
This brings to 11 the number of persons arrested in connection with the crime.
Eight of the suspects, made up of five Ghanaians and three Nigerians, were arrested on Wednesday were Friday arraigned before court on charges of kidnapping.
The Police have named the eight suspects as, Yusif Yakubu, 28 years; Seidu Abubakari, 32 years; Abdul Rahaman, 30 years; Sulemana Abdul Nasiri Ahmed, Sefiano, 32 years; Abubakari Umar Farouk; and Iddrisu Maney all Ghanaians, as well as Ojiyorna Ellis, 27 years; Jeff Omarson, 28 years; and Sampson Aghaloro, 27 years, all Nigerians.
Three new suspects
The three new suspects are currently in police custody and assisting in investigations.
A report issued by the Police however did not give details about the ages or where the suspects were arrested.
Grenades
According to the Police report, a grenade, two blood-stained knives and a piece of torn singlet soaked with blood were found in the uncompleted building where the suspects were holding the two victims.
Other items found in the building were “36 live 9mm pistol ammunition, 5 empty shells of pistol ammunition, pieces of smoked cigarettes, Airtel/Tigo and MTN starter packs, a pair of spectacle, quantity of dried seeds suspected to be cannabis, quantity of clothing and 3 used tooth brushes.
The rest were a pair of security volunteer T-shirts with inscription “ARNWC”, money safe with inscription “CUA Ltd.”, a pair of black and white foot wear, a pair of brown shoe, pictures of two males and a female, a Ghanaian voter ID card of suspect Aminu Labaran, company ID card of Sampson Aghaloro.
The police said it also lifted fingerprints from the scene.
The suspected grenade has been handed to the 4BN Military Command in Kumasi for analysis and investigation.
$800,000 ransom
It emerged in court Friday that the kidnappers demanded an $800,000 ransom for their release.
Six out of the eight persons arrested in connection with the kidnapping were remanded in police custody by the Accra High Court when they made their first appearance since their arrest.
The court, presided over by Justice George Buadi, remanded them for two weeks following a plea by the prosecution that investigations into the case were still ongoing.
The hearing continues on July 1, 2019.
The accused persons are Sampson Aghalor aka Romeo, Elvis Ojiyorwe, Jeff Omarsar, all Nigerians, Yusif Yakubu, Abdul Nasir and Seidu Abubakari aka Nba – Ghanaians.
All of them were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, while Aghalor, Ojiyorwe, Omarsar and Yakubu, were separately charged with kidnapping.
Presenting the facts of the case, a Senior State Attorney, Ms Hilda Craig, said Aghalor struck up an acquaintance with Yakubu in March 2019.
Aghalor discussed kidnapping as a trade with his new friend.
Aghalor then went to Nigeria and recruited Ojiyorwe and Omarsar to be part of the gang.
On June 4, 2019, the gang went on a kidnapping operation in Kumasi and managed to kidnap the two Canadians after accosting at their hostel in Nhyeasio a suburb of Kumasi.
The gang sent the two girls to an uncompleted building at Kenyasi Krobo.
The prosecutor added that Aghalor, who was the leader of the gang, called the families of the two girls and demanded $800,000 as ransom.
In order to prove that they were serious, the gang smeared blood on the girls and the floor.
On June 11, a National Security team, led by Colonel Micheal Opoku, arrested Yusif who later led them to the rest of the gang.
Upon their arrest, the accused persons mentioned Nasir and Abubakari as part of the gang.
Meanwhile, the two women, Lauren Patricia Catherine Tilley, 19, and Bailey Jordan Chitty, 20, left Ghana last Wednesday evening aboard British Airways flight BA78 to Heathrow Airport in London, the United Kingdom and have since arrived safely in Canada.