Four Canadian kidnappers in Ghana granted bail

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Four out of eight persons standing trial in a case involving the kidnapping of two Canadian ladies have been granted a GHC200,000 bail by the Accra High Court.

The four were granted bail by the court, presided over by Justice George Buadi, following a bail application by their lawyers.

The court ruled that one of the sureties must be justified while Abdul Nasir, Seidu Abubakari aka NBA, Safianu Abubakari and Abdul Rahman Suleiman aka Worfa must also report to the Kumasi Central Police Station every Monday.

The rest of the accused persons are Sampson Aghalor, aka Romeo, Elvis Ojiyorwe and Jeff Omarsar, Yusif Yakubu have been remanded into custody

Hearing continues on August 12, 2019.

Accused persons

In all, eight people are standing trial for the kidnapping of the two Canadian ladies.

The accused persons are Elvis Ojiyorwe and Jeff Omarsar- all Nigerians. The rest are Yusif Yakubu, Abdul Nasir and Seidu Abubakari, aka Mba,Safianu Abubakar and Abdul Rahman Suleman- all Ghanaians.

They (the accused) have been accused of playing various roles in the kidnapping of Miss Lauren Patricia Catherine Tiley and Miss Bailey Jordan Chilly, two Canadians, who were in Kumasi to participate in a youth programme.

Kidnapping of Canadians

Ms Craig said on June 4, 2019, the gang, in a car, accosted the two Canadian ladies, who had boarded an Uber taxi at their hostel at Nhyiayeso, a suburb of Kumasi.

“They were accosted by the gang when they arrived at their destination and alighted from the Uber taxi. Aghalor, Ojiyorwe, Omarsar and Yakubu assaulted the victims and forced them into their vehicle amid shooting.

They then sped off with their victims to their hideout, which was in an uncompleted building at Kenyasi Krobo, another suburb of Kumasi,” the prosecutor added.

During their captivity, Aghalor contacted the families of the two women and demanded a ransom of $800,000.

Rescue

Ms Craig told the court that on June 11, 2019, a National Security team, led by Colonel Micheal Opoku, and acting on intelligence, arrested Yakubu.

Afterwards, the team proceeded to arrest Aghalor, Ojiyorwe and Omarsar at their hideout at Kenyasi Krobo and rescued the two women.

“During the rescue mission, Ojiyorwe and Omarsar threatened to kill the victims if the security agents dared them. They exchanged fire with the security agents until they were overpowered and arrested,” she said.

The prosecutor added that Aghalor, Ojiyorwe, Omarsar and Yakubu mentioned Nasir and Abubakari as members of the gang and the two were subsequently arrested.

Source: Daily Mail GH