After a year and some months, a closure has been reached. The four missing Takoradi girls have been declared dead after a DNA test on some exhumed bones at the suspect’s premises proved positive.
Until Monday, September 16, 2019, hopes were high – at least for the four families – due to assurances from officialdom. However, what the majority feared has come to pass thanks to last night’s announcement by the acting IGP James Oppong-Boanuh.
Here are some notable quotes:
1. WE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE – CID BOSS
As far back as April this year, the CID boss, Mrs Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, said she could not disclose the exact location of the girls, as doing that could jeopardise their safety, but gave an assurance that the police were working together with other stakeholders to bring them back safely. “We know where the girls are. The families should keep on keeping on… It’s taken us over three months to even identify where the ladies are, and what we don’t want to do is do anything that will jeopardise the safety of that. So we are working very hard. All the stakeholders who are supposed to be on board are on board and hopefully, the girls will be brought back safe and sound.”
2. I WAS MISCONSTRUED – TIWAA
“I made that comment because I wanted to give hope to the mothers but I have been misconstrued. Maybe people didn’t understand me. For timelines, I cannot say. I just want to assure everyone that the search is still on. We are not sleeping at all,” the CID boss backtracked in less than a month after the famous ‘We know where they are’ comment.
3. I KNOW THEIR WHEREABOUTS – REV. OWUSU BEMPAH
“I know the whereabouts of the girls. If you dare me, just allow the President to call on me and ask me about their whereabouts and I will gladly tell him… Some things are not only papers and writing but spiritual… This is the time to try prophets like us but Ghanaians as usual will rain insults….People always disregard men of God and always attack us and so I only urge Ghanaians to give us the chance in cases like this. I know this issue has to do with the work of the police, but I can help too unless I’m invited by Nana Addo.”
4. THE GIRLS HAVE BEEN RESCUED – DAILY GUIDE EDITOR
We’ve double checked from our sources and the girls are in Accra and are going through medical care. As at yesterday, they were at the BNI clinic. We double checked and it was true. The good news is that the girls have been located and successfully rescued… by now the family should be jubilating. We can’t joke with this case; we are talking about people’s lives. The family should be rest assured that the girls have been found – Fortune Alimi, Daily Guide Executive Editor on April 24, 2019.
5. WE’RE NOT SLEEPING ON THIS CASE – AKUFO-ADDO
“On the issue of the missing Takoradi girls, I want to assure you that we are not sleeping on it but the government and security agencies are doing everything possible to ensure that the girls are reunited with their respective families. If any despicable thing happens, as it has happened to the three girls, the government will be there to marshal its forces, locate them and rescue them, and that will be done in the case of the girls,” says president Akufo-Addo.
Source: Daily Mail GH
