Police have identified five suspects among the 25 individuals rescued from a suspected kidnapping operation at New Site, Housing, Effiakuma, in the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality of the Western Region. The five suspects—four males and one female—were “smoked out” during an initial interrogation with one of the victims, who managed to escape from captivity. The suspects have since been isolated and detained as police continue with investigations.
Hamza Mohammed Ameen Adam, Assembly Member for Effiakuma Zongo, told Connect FM‘s Abraham Mensah that he had to arrange food for some of the rescued individuals, who appeared weak and traumatised. Meanwhile, the owner of the apartment where the victims were discovered has not yet been identified.
The incident came to light after one male victim in his late twenties escaped from captivity on Sunday afternoon, June 1, 2025. He made his way to the Effiakuma Zongo area, where he approached a trader for help. Due to a language barrier—he spoke French—the trader could not assist. Fortunately, a young man named Abdul Ganiyu, who was called to the scene, recognised the language as Dyula—a native language spoken in parts of Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Mali. The escapee explained that he and his wife had fallen victim to what appeared to be a recruitment scam.
With critical information from the victim, Ganiyu alerted Assembly Member Hamza, and together with some residents, they mobilised a rescue team. The victim led them to an eight-bedroom apartment near the Takoradi Technical University main campus.
The team found the main entrance and rooms locked but managed to break in. Inside, they found the victims standing upright, visibly shaken, lean, and pale. Six of the victims were female. The rooms were devoid of mattresses and contained only luggage, talismans, and other voodoo artifacts.
The victims could not confirm how long they had been held. Strangely, none of the neighbors had suspected their presence in the apartment until the escape. While identities are still being verified, police believe the victims are from neighboring Côte d’Ivoire. One of them requested to call his mother in that country.
Investigations are ongoing.
By: Abraham Mensah
