The Tarkwa Circuit Court presided over by Judge Hathia Ama Manu has remanded three individuals into prison custody in connection with the abduction of an eight year old boy in the Western Region. According to reports from Starr FM the suspects include an eighteen year old student and two accomplices who were intercepted shortly after the incident occurred.
A report by GhanaWeb indicates that the suspects allegedly took the child on a motorbike while he was on his way to school. The Ghanaian Times reports that the community members became suspicious of the group and launched a coordinated search which led to the discovery of the child at a hideout in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality.
Official statements from the Ghana Police Service confirm that the victim has been reunited with his family after undergoing a medical assessment. Investigators told the court that the suspects intended to demand a ransom from the parents of the boy but the swift action of the local neighborhood watch committee prevented the plan from progressing as detailed by Citi Newsroom.
The prosecution led by Chief Inspector Joseph Kwadwo Salia requested the court to remand the accused persons to allow the police more time to conclude their investigations. The judge granted the application and adjourned the case until a later date in the month. All three suspects remain in custody at the Tarkwa local prison while authorities search for a potential fourth accomplice mentioned in court proceedings according to the Ghana News Agency.