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General News of Friday, 14 June 2019

Source: myxyzonline.com

Kidnapping: Children are not safe in Ghana – Child Rights International

Bright Appiah Bright Appiah

Child Rights International (CRI) says the current spate of kidnappings in the country have rendered Ghanaian children unsafe.

The Executive Director of CRI, Bright Appiah, disclosed on Power 97.9 FM’s Dwaboase Thursday morning said children’s right to freedom of movement is being stifled in the wake of cases of abductions in some parts of the country.

“Children are not safe in the country because of these cases of kidnappings,” Mr Appiah told Kwame Minkah and explained that the students sitting the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) are susceptible to abduction.

Background

Mr Appiah’s comment comes after the rescue of two Canadian nationals who were kidnapped in Kumasi last week. The pair, Lauren Tilley, 19, and 20 year old Bailey Chitty were rescued on Wednesday dawn June 12, 2019 at Kenyasi, a suburb of Kumasi by a combined team of personnel from the police SWAT unit and National Security Operatives.

Eight persons have been arrested in direct connection with the incident while many others have been picked up because they came into contact with the suspected kidnappers.

The suspects include five Ghanaians and three Nigerians, according to Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.

Despite the rescue of the canadaians, Ghanaians are yet to come to terms with why the security agencies in the country have failed to find some three Ghanaian ladies who were also abducted in Takoradi last year.

Ruth Quayson went missing six months ago while Priscilla Mantsebea Koranchie and Priscilla Blessing Bentum were also abducted five months and one year ago respectively.

Within the period that the three young ladies have been away from their families, the Criminal investigative Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service keep giving hope to Ghanaians and the families of the missing trio.

Series of demonstrations have been held in the Western Regional capital, Takoradi, to mount pressure on authorities to rescue the young girls. Last Saturday, a group known as Western Youth for Justice demonstrate in the capital over the incident.

The protestors demanded that the CID boss be fired not later than 21days from Saturday’s demonstration for failing to rescue the abducted ladies.