Two suspects arrested for trafficking 12 people

Two men are in the grip of the police in the Northern Region for allegedly trafficking 12 persons between the ages of nine and 20 years from Zabzugu to Kumasi en route to some remote villages in the Western North Region to work on cocoa farms.

The suspects, Kwaku Manu, 45, and Nkabeye Joshua, 24, all natives of Zabzugu were arrested following vigilance on the part of some good Samaritans who saw the victims alighting from a bus together with the suspects at a stopover in Tamale to take dinner before continuing on their journey to Kumasi.

Victims

The victims who were rescued by the police were identified to be Vida  Nimaya  Tuwik,10; Maklanga Malan,12; Belinda Malan,14 and Happy Damoah, 14; Bekina Ninkple,16 and Abena Yaw, 15, all females.

The rest are Mbaba Nido, 16 and Yajome Koawan, 20, both male.

The youngest of the victims  were Comfort Tiba,10 and nine-year-old Victoria Dokunora.

Briefing

The Northern Regional Crime Officer,  Superintendent (Supt) of Police, Mr Bernard Baba Ananga who briefed the media on the arrest in Tamale yesterday said, at about 7.30 p.m. last Sunday, January 10, the Regional Police Command acting upon intelligence arrested the suspects Kwaku Manu and Nkabeye Joshua, all natives of Zabzugu for the act of trafficking the 12 victims.

He said the arrest followed the critical observation of the movements of the suspects and their victims by some good Samaritans who saw them at a stopover location in Tamale where they were taking their dinner prior to continuation of their journey to Kumasi.

Supt, Mr Ananga said a police officer who was also monitoring their movement, confronted the suspects over the victims and later called for police reinforcement.

The crime officer said a team of investigators from the regional Criminal Investigation Department (CID) proceeded to the location and arrested the two suspects.

Investigation

He said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects recruited the vitims comprising 11 children and an adult at Zabzugu, from where they boarded a passenger bus with registration number AS 2430-15 heading for Kumasi en route to the Western North Region to work on cocoa farms.

He said efforts were underway to trace the relatives of the victims at Zabzugu and for them to also assist with investigations while the two suspects would be arraigned before court.