The police are investigating an 18-year-old girl, Doreen Nkunu, who allegedly faked her kidnapping to demand a ransom of GH¢1,000.00 from her parents.
One other suspect, said to be the boyfriend of the 18-year-old girl, is being sought after by the police.
The Accra Regional Police Command confirmed this to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.
She said on January 4, 2021, the Adentan police received a complaint from her father that his daughter, a final year Senior High School (SHS) student, left home unceremoniously and had since not returned.
She said the suspect’s father indicated that during WhatsApp chat with her cell phone number, an unidentified person claimed to have her in custody and demanded GH¢1,000.00 as ransom.
DSP Afia Tenge, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Accra Regional Polie Command, said the unidentified man provided phone numbers into which the money should be paid, adding that a report was made and investigations were commenced by the Intelligence Unit of the Ghana Police Service to apprehend the suspects.
She said while investigations were ongoing, on January 8, 2021, at about 10:00 p.m. the complainant’s daughter, who was reported missing, returned home looking healthy on her own without them paying the ransom.
The Police PRO said the police was informed of her return.
“It was highly suspected that Doreen feigned her kidnapping with other accomplices who might be her boyfriend to create fear and alarm in order to force her parents to part with the money,” she added.
DSP Tenge said young Nkunu has since been interrogated, cautioned with the offence of publication of false news contrary to section 208 of the Criminal Offence Act, 1960 (Act 29) and released on police enquiry bail.