An all-Ghanaian security
operation yesterday rescued the two Canadian ladies who were abducted from the gates
of their hostel in the Kumasi suburb of Kenyasi.
Dawn Attack
The dawn operation, led
by Col Michael Kwadwo Opoku, the National Security Coordinator, was undertaken
with military precision; the timing and other details were guarded until the
launch hour or H-hour.
When the squad finally
made contact with their target, it drew fire from the armed gang.
Information reaching DAILY
GUIDE indicates that the operatives with no intention of engaging in a
firefight, as that could endanger the lives of the abducted ladies, did not
return fire.
Evidence of the danger
the ladies were exposed to at the moment of contact was when the leader of the
gang, upon discovering that their location had been surrounded, said, “We know
why you are here. If you attempt anything, we shall kill the girls”. Shortly
after that, they started firing at the squad. Eventually, they were overpowered
and captured.
Nigerian, Ghanaian Criminals
Of the 14 persons arrested, three are Nigerians, three Fulanis
and some Ghanaians, including Seidu, aka Mba, a staunch supporter of Kumasi
Asante Kotoko.
Eleven of the suspects were picked up in a building located
in a thick bush at Antoa Krobokrom at 11:00pm on Tuesday, where the two
Canadian girls were also rescued.
The security agents, acting upon a tip-off, also apprehended
three other suspects at a location at Sawaba in the Asokore Mampong
Municipality at 3:00am on Wednesday.
Car Number
According to credible information, the number plate of the
Toyota Corolla car that the kidnappers used to kidnap the two girls played a
role in the overall operation.
A CCTV at the hostel where the two girls were kidnapped
reportedly captured the number plate of the Toyota Corolla of the kidnappers on
the day of the incident.
The number plate was blurred and so the National Security Operatives
from Accra relied on some modern gadgets to decipher the state of the details.
One Abdul Rahman, aka Wofa, the owner of the car and a
resident of Sawaba, was identified as the owner of the car. This provided the
security agents with an important lead and the eventual breakthrough.
In the heat of the euphoria, social media became heated with
both truths and untruths making the rounds. It was reported on social media
that a certain Seidu Mba was arrested, with some even referring to him as
leader of the criminals. They added that he is a member of the Delta Force – a
vigilante group associated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
However, it turned out later that the man was neither a
member of Delta Force nor NPP as the propaganda which went viral sought to imply.
He is said to be a staunch Asante Kotoko supporter and once
led a group of supporters to chase out a coach from a field of play.
Seidu’s Boy Assist
In Arrest
Reports reaching DAILY GUIDE have it that Seidu’s errand
boy also supplied the security agencies with information, leading to Seidu’s
arrest.
Seidu reportedly failed to give that particular boy his fair
share of a deal they brokered, and this infuriated him to the point where he
decided to assist the police with the intelligence they needed for the
Wednesday operation.
One Suspect At
Large
One key suspect in the kidnapping of the Canadian girls
managed to escape arrest and police are on his heels.
Medical Attention
The two Canadians were soon after their release sent for medical
attention and psychological tests in an Accra medical facility after the torturous
moments at the hands of their captors.
Seidu’s Arrest
Seidu’s implication in the abduction story is said to have
shocked the police because he has been an informant of the law enforcement
agency in the Ashanti Region for many years.
Seidu owns a boutique at the Aboabo Post Office area and
rubs shoulders with important personalities in Kumasi.
Now In Accra
At the time of filing
this report yesterday, the criminals were due to be brought to Accra for
further action by the security agencies. The expected multi-sectoral investigation
is expected to involve National Security Operatives, the Criminal
Investigations Department (CID), the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI)
and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).
The motive of the
abduction was monetary as the report from Kumasi indicated.
Tweet To Canada
Seidu created a Twitter account and contacted the families
of the kidnapped girls in Canada.
According to reports, the kidnappers engaged the families of
the two girls in a conversation with the hope of milking money from them.
When they discovered that the Twitter account could expose
them, they quickly closed the account a few days after creating it.
A credible police source also said he suspected that the
kidnappers had the motive of holding the girls in their hideout for some time
until they received a ransom.
The two Canadian girls ‒ Lauren Patricia Catherine Tilley, 19, and Bailey Jordan
Chitty, 20 ‒ were
abducted on June 4, 2019, while returning to their hostel from a youth
development programme organised by Youth Challenge International.
Govt Press
Conference
A government press conference yesterday addressed by
Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah explained that the operation took 20 minutes
to execute.
According to him, five Ghanaians and three Nigerians are
currently in custody, adding that contrary to speculations, there was no
foreign security operative involved in the operation.
He said the operation was an integrated one involving the
CID, Defence Intelligence, SWAT and the BNI.
As stated in a preceding paragraph, gunfire came from the
compound where the criminals and their captives were. He disclosed that a
Ghanaian provided accommodation for the criminals.
Canadians In Town
The minister explained that the Canadian security experts
were only in town to explore ways in which they could help to rescue the girls,
but it was not necessary because their Ghanaian counterparts could handle it.
At the end of the operation, the two Nigerians holding the
Canadians were subdued and the third Nigerian arrested later.
Present during the press conference were the National Security Minister, Kan Dapaah; Deputy Minister of the Interior, Henry Quartey, and COP/Ms Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah.
By A.R. Gomda, Melvin Tarlue with additional reports from Joe Awuah Jnr, Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi
The post We Got Them! 8 Canadian Kidnappers Grabbed appeared first on DailyGuide Network.
