A 19-year-old senior high school student, Abigail Manu, feigned her kidnapping and requested her father to send her a ¢500 ransom being demanded by the supposed kidnapper.
Her stratagem, however, failed after her 11-year-old brother led her father and police officers to the house of her 25-year-old lover, Reagan Boabeng Ampofo, at Mpobi, about 12 kilometres from Kumasi.
Reagan, who is now in the custody of the police at Afrancho, is likely to be charged for abduction, extortion and deceit of a public officer.
The suspect had connived with his girlfriend who asked her parents to send the amount before she could be released by the kidnapper. Desperate to his daughter back, Abigail’s father sent them ¢200 out of the ¢500 “ransom” placed on her.
The two then mounted pressure on the girl’s parents to pay the remaining ¢300 while police intensified efforts to arrest the suspected kidnapper following a complaint of the teenager’s disappearance.
Unknown to them, Abigail once visited Reagan in the same neighbourhood during the Christmas holidays in the company of her younger sibling.
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Spokesperson for the Ashanti Region Police, ASP Godwin Ahianyo “The 11-year-old told the father that sometime during the Christmas holidays he accompanied his sister to visit a male friend somewhere near Mampongten. So the boy took the police to the location and found both of them in the room.”
He said during their interrogation, Abigail claimed they staged the kidnap for fear of being beaten after she stayed late at Reagan’s home.
Reagan Boabeng Ampofo is presently in police custody while Abigail Manu is receiving medical attention after showing symptoms of illness after their arrest.ASP Ahianyo explains the case will soon proceed to court.
“Hopefully, we will be the charging the boy for abduction, extortion and deceit of public officer. The female will also be charged,” he added.
Credit:myjoyonline
