Court adjourns case of two Nigerians accused of kidnapping 80-year-old American

The trial of two Nigerians accused of abducting an 80-year-old American woman has been adjourned to April 8, 2025.

Emmanuel Adedoyin Adebayor, a 28-year-old trader, and Esther Ogbonna, a beautician, remain in police custody after failing to meet their GH₵500,000 bail conditions. The two, who appeared in court handcuffed, were escorted by police officers. A third suspect, Dennis Poromo, is still on the run.

Adebayor and Poromo face charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, specifically kidnapping and theft, while Esther is charged with abetment. Both Adebayor and Esther have pleaded not guilty.

According to prosecutors, the case came to light on December 6, 2024, when FBI agents at the U.S. Embassy in Accra alerted local authorities about the disappearance of a U.S. citizen, Diana Christine Nelson.

The elderly victim had arrived in Ghana on November 22, 2024. Following investigations, police intelligence led officers to a hotel in Larteh Akwapim on December 8, where they found her in the company of one of the accused.

On December 11, authorities arrested Adebayor at an ATM while he was attempting to withdraw funds from the victim’s U.S. bank account. He later led officers to a residence in Tema Community 11, where Nelson was being held. The victim, visibly distressed, was promptly taken to a hospital for medical care.

Investigators revealed that Adebayor had deceived Nelson by impersonating a well-known American actor, Mark Hammond, to lure her to Ghana.

Upon her arrival at Kotoka International Airport, Esther picked her up and initially accommodated her at an apartment in East Legon Hills before moving her to Tema Community 11. The prosecutors allege that Esther was responsible for monitoring and caring for the victim throughout her captivity.

The accused allegedly seized the victim’s four mobile phones and bank cards, warning her against revealing any information to outsiders.

Adebayor and Poromo reportedly withdrew $15,821.70 from her bank account and demanded a $150,000 ransom from her family.

During police operations, authorities recovered the victim’s bank cards and some of her devices, including a "Bru Phone," Samsung Galaxy A15, and an iPhone 12. However, some of the items had already been sold at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra.

Police retrieved GH₵7,000 and GH₵4,000 in cash from Adebayor, believed to be proceeds from the illicit withdrawals and sale of the stolen items. However, the victim’s iPhone 12 remains unaccounted for.

With Poromo still at large, the case is set to resume in April as investigations continue.