Police investigate disappearance of boy, 11 as uncle is in court over matter
The Accra Regional Police Command is investigating the circumstances leading to the disappearance of an 11-year-old boy since February this year.
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The boy, identified as Prince Kofi Doku, a Class Four pupil of the Oduman Amanfrom Basic School, near Nsakina in the Greater Accra Region, is suspected to have been kidnapped by his maternal uncle for ritual purposes.
The uncle, identified as Ebenezer Oblitey Commey, 35, whom the police described as a land guard, is currently in police custody after he was arrested in connection with the disappearance of his nephew.
Missing boy
Confirming the case, the Public Relations Officer of the Accra Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mrs Effia Tenge, told the Daily Graphic that the police received complaints about a missing boy from the boy’s paternal grandparents on February 5, 2016.
She said investigations revealed that Doku, who lived with his paternal grandparents at Oduman, left school while classes were in session on that fateful day.
The police said his grandfather (name withheld), who was at home when Doku arrived from school, told the police that the boy came home about 1:30 p.m. even though he was expected home at about 4 p.m.
Although the grandfather questioned Doku, the boy claimed school had closed earlier than the usual closing time.
According to Mrs Tenge, the grandfather, who was surprised, left home to buy some airtime for his mobile phone, while Doku was taking his bath.
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She said the grandfather told the police that when he returned, Doku was nowhere to be found, but he thought the boy had gone out to play.
The grandparents became alarmed when Doku did not return home in the night.
Police report
Subsequently, she said they reported the incident to the police after all efforts to find the boy had proved futile.
Investigations by the police, Mrs Tenge said, revealed that Commey had been seen with Doku in Doku’s school on the day the boy went missing.
She said investigations indicated that Commey had given Doku GH₵10 and promised to take him somewhere but had warned the boy not to inform his grandparents about it.
The boy told his friends in school about his uncle’s intention to take him to an unknown place after he had shown them the money his uncle had given him.
Ebenezer Oblitey Commey, the suspected kidnapper
Father
Doku’s father, Mr Michael Doku, said his son had to live with his grandparents after his 10-year marriage to his wife ended on the rocks.
He said after the boy had been living with his grandparents for six months, he received a call that his son was missing.
Court
Commey was arrested at Nsakina on June 11 after he had been evasive.
He had since been put before an Accra Circuit Court on charges of kidnapping.
Commey first appeared in court on June 16 and remanded in police custody after he had pleaded not guilty to the charge of kidnapping.
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On his second appearance, the court granted him bail in the sum of GH₵70,000 with three sureties, one of whom was to be justified.
However, the suspect is still in police custody, since he was unable to meet the bail terms.