2 T’di girls ‘killers’ charged with murder

The two men linked to the case of the four Takoradi girls who went missing have been charged with murder at the Takoradi Magistrate Court, presided over by Mr Michael Ampadu.

The suspects, Sam Udoetuk Wills and John Orji, both Nigerians, were charged after a State Attorney, Ms Adelaide Kobiri-Woode, entered a nolle prosequi at the High Court in Sekondi yesterday to discontinue the initial trial which had the suspects charged with kidnapping.

That was to allow commital processes to begin at a lower court.

Explaining why the charge of kidnapping was dropped, the State Attorney said it was as a result of the receipt of the documents the A-G was expecting from the police.

According to her, the content of the document made it necessary to change the charges.

At the magistrate court

Police prosecutor, Chief Inspector B. P. Ahinsan, explained to the Takoradi Magistrate court that Udoetuk could not be brought to court since he was still serving his 18-month prison sentence for escaping from lawful custody and destruction of public property.

He pleaded with the court to remand Orji to enable the police to do further investigation and commence the committal processes in two weeks.

The court, therefore, remanded Orji in prison custody to reappear on February 13, 2020.

Family members

Some of the family members of the four girls who were at the court said although they did not believe the girls were dead, if the investigators and the state believed they were, then the families expected a speedy trial.

Background

In September 2019, the Police Administration announced that a DNA test carried out on the human parts found in the vicinity of the home of Udoetuk confirmed that the skeletons were those of the four girls who had gone missing.

They were Ruth Abakah, Priscilla Kuranchie, Ruth Love Quayson and Priscilla Blessing Bentum.

The acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr James Oppong Boanuh, said: “A few minutes ago, officers of the Ghana Police service informed four families in Takoradi in the Western Region that DNA test conducted on some human remains discovered into the course of police investigations in the disappearance of the four missing girls have turned positive, as the remains of the girls.”