Kidnapped Taadi girls: Experts begin DNA tests

• Posted on August 15, 2019August 15, 2019
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

A two-member medical team from the Police Hospital in Accra yesterday arrived at the Western Regional Police Headquarters in Sekondi, Western Region to collect DNA samples from the families of the four kidnapped girls in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.

The team arrived around 1:30 p.m. following the assurance by the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. James Oppong-Boanuh, to thoroughly investigate the matter when he paid a visit to the families of the four missing girls last Tuesday.

The DNA samples were to help the police determine the identity of some human remains recently retrieved from a septic tank at Kansaworodo, a suburb of Takoradi, where the key suspect, Samuel Udoetuk Wills, resided.

A fourth set of remains was also discovered at Nkroful Ridge in Takoradi near where the Nigerian suspect was hiding after breaking cells from a police station in the metropolis.

DAILY GUIDE gathered that the tests were conducted by two male doctors of the Police Hospital made up of a Superintendent and a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).

Contrary to the perception that blood samples could be taken from families of the kidnapped girls for the tests, DAILY GUIDE gathered that the two male doctors rather used a long thin stick which looked like a cotton bud to take the DNA samples; there was no blood drawn.

A police source said the thin stick was put in the mouth of the family members who were represented by two persons each to help match the human remains discovered barely two weeks ago.

Michael Grant Hayford, who claims to be the spokesperson of the family members, confirmed that the families sent two representatives each and claimed that the police indicated they expected to complete matching the samples between two weeks and one month.

The spokesperson said that had there been an IGP like the current one, their girls would have been found long ago, adding “the acting IGP, as you are aware, paid a visit to the four families of the girls kidnapped; something his predecessor failed to do.”

According to him, the fourth missing girl, Ruth Abakah, was the first to be kidnapped but when the matter was reported to the Takoradi police, they were told to keep mute, as making noise about it would make the suspects escape with them.

He mentioned that the family members now have the confidence that the new IGP would work to get to the bottom of the kidnap cases that have rocked the region, saying they have been touched by the demonstration of goodwill exhibited by Mr. Oppong-Boanuh.

Priscilla Blessing Bentum, 21, a third-year student of the University of Education, Winneba, was kidnapped on 17th August 2018 at Kansaworodo and Ruth Love Quayson, 18, a Fijai Senior High School leaver in Sekondi, was kidnapped on 4th December 2018 at Butumegyabu junction in Takoradi.

PiscillaMantebeaKuranchie, 15, a first-year student of Sekondi College, was kidnapped on 21st December 2018 at a spot near Nkroful junction and the fourth victim, Ruth Abakah, a former student of Diabene Senior High School was last seen on July 29, 2018.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi