Four jailed eight years over kidnapping in Northern Region
The convicts, Haruna Seidu, Osman Sambo, Amadu Aminu and Hoyeefe Amadu, were each sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
Four men arrested while sharing ransom money have been jailed by the Tamale High Court Two for kidnapping-related offences in the Northern Region.
The convicts, Haruna Seidu, Osman Sambo, Amadu Aminu and Hoyeefe Amadu, were each sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
Northern Regional Police Commander DCOP Wisdom Lavoe announced the convictions at a press briefing in Tamale on Tuesday.
He said the four men abducted a victim at Wapuli and demanded ransom from his family.
Police intelligence officers later arrested them at Bokpaba on the Yendi-Bimbilla road while they were allegedly sharing the ransom money.
The court found them guilty of conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, causing harm and threat of death.
It also ordered that four motorbikes and four mobile phones retrieved during investigations be auctioned, with the proceeds paid into the Consolidated Fund.
An amount of GH¢70,010, said to be part of the recovered ransom, is to be returned to the complainant’s brother, Buubu Osman.
DCOP Lavoe said police are also pursuing suspects in other abduction cases recorded in the region.
One of the cases involved an attack at Kabulya, where armed men allegedly stormed the home of Laolo Issah, assaulted two relatives and abducted a boy.
The kidnappers initially demanded GH¢100,000 but later reduced the ransom to GH¢20,000.
Police later arrested Amadu Abubakari at the Binda barrier after intelligence led officers to intercept him.
A sum of GH¢20,000 and an unregistered motorbike were retrieved.
Police say he admitted involvement and mentioned other accomplices, who are currently being pursued.
The victim, Ali Issah, was later found at the Kpandai Government Hospital with a gunshot wound to the jaw and transferred to the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
In another incident, 26-year-old Yahaya Issahaq was kidnapped on May 25 while grazing cattle in the Mion District.
The abductors reportedly demanded GH¢200,000 before reducing the amount to GH¢150,000.
DCOP Lavoe said police used intelligence and digital tracking to locate the victim’s body on May 28 near River Dakar at Kpajie, close to Nakpa.
He said the body had gunshot wounds to the chest and a chain around the neck.
The Police Commander expressed sympathy to the bereaved family and said efforts were underway to arrest all suspects linked to the killings and abductions.
He urged the public to provide information through emergency numbers 191 and 18555, or at the nearest police station.
