Half Assini Police releases 26 school children

New Town (W/R), Aug. 4, GNA – The Half Assini Police has released the 26 school children who were detained and handed over to them by Immigration Officials at the New Town border near Half Assini last Saturday.

The Jomoro District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) John Ferguson Dzineku, told the Ghana News Agency at Half Assini on Tuesday.

The Police Commander said the action was taken after the parents of the children, the Assembly Member for Abrebeano, the linguist of the chief of the town, and some members of the Unit committee had testified to the Police that the children were actually visiting their relatives fishing in la Cote d’Ivoire.

According to them, the children were not being trafficked as was suspected by the border officials.

Mr Harrison Akakpo, the Area Director of Immigration, in an interview with the GNA, said the children had been released to go and look for travelling documents to be able to cross the border in view of their ages and number.

He said the children aged between eight and 17 could not cross an international border without the necessary travelling documents.

Meanwhile, report reaching Half Assini indicated that the children have managed to find their way to their relatives in the fishing communities of Mamaa, Muame, and Bebianeha near Assinie Manfia in Cote d’ Ivoire.

On July 30, the 26 children made up of 17 boys and nine girls, from Abrebeano in the Central Region, attempted to cross the border to Cote d’ Ivoire but were not allow by the Immigration Officers at the New Town border because they lacked the requisite travelling documents.

They were, however, handed over to the Police at Half Assini for further investigations.

The children claimed that over the past three years they had been visiting their relatives during their vacation at communities near Assinie Manfia.

The children are Moses Mogeska, Sara Quarcoe, Mary Abbam, Sara Wilson, Oduro Augustine, Anthony Mensah, Brihima Kassim and Eshun Francis, all of the District Assembly Junior Secondary School at Abrobeano.

Others are Sara Otoo, Emma Kwesi, Emmanuel Kwesi, Stephen Kumson, Godwin Kofi, Francis Ansah and Kofi Mends.

The rest are Ben Quansah, Michael Tano, Lydia Mensah, John Antobam and Atta Aidoo.

The children, who appeared distressed, told the Ghana News Agency at the Half Assini Police Station that they were visiting their parents and other relatives to collect their school fees and money for their up-keep.

While in detention, the Jomoro District Assembly catered for them with food and beddings.