By Joyce Danso
Accra, March 17, GNA – The case in which two Nigerians have been nabbed for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of an 80-year-old American has been adjourned to April 8.
Emmanul Adedoyin Adebayor, a 28-year-old trader and Esther Ogbonna, a beautician, have not been able to execute their GHC500,000 bail.
They were handcuffed and escorted to court by the Police.
The accused persons’ accomplice, one Dennis Poromo, the third accused person, is said to be at large.
Adebayor and Poromo have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime to wit kidnapping and stealing, kidnapping and stealing.
Esther is facing an abetment charge.
Adebayor and Esther have pleaded not guilty.
Prosecution said on December 6, 2024, the Police received a complaint from the FBI agents of American Embassy in Accra that a female United States of America citizen, Diana Christine Nelson, had been kidnapped by some unknown persons.
Prosecution said the 80-year-old victim arrived in Ghana on November 22, 2024.
According to the Prosecutor, the Police commenced investigations, and intelligence led the Police to a hotel in Larteh Akwapim on December 8, 2024.
Prosecution said information gathered indicated that the victim and one of the accused persons were in the hotel.
On December 11, 2024, Police intelligence led to the arrest of Adebayor when he went to withdraw money from the accounts of the victim using her US ATM debit card.
Prosecution said Adebayor led the Police to a house in Tema Community 11, where the victim was being held hostage in an apartment.
The Court heard that the victim, who appeared traumatized, was taken to the hospital.
Prosecution said investigations revealed that Adebayor posed as one Mark Hammond, a popular actor in the US, to lure the victim to Ghana.
Esther, the second accused picked the victim up from the Kotoka International Airport and took her to an apartment in East Legon Hills and later transferred her to the Tema Community 11.
According to prosecution, from the time the victim arrived in Ghana until their arrest, it was Esther who was taking care of the victim.
Prosecution said the victim arrived in the country with four mobile phones.
“All the phones and her bank cards were seized from her and warned not to disclose any information to anyone.” Prosecution said.
According to prosecution, Adebayor and his friend, Poromo, who is now at large, succeeded in withdrawing $15,821.7 from the victim’s bank account and also demanded a ransom of $ 150,000 from the family of the victim.
The Prosecution said the bank cards and mobile phones, namely “Bru Phone, Samsung galaxy A15, iPhone 12, belonging to the victim were retrieved from the accused persons, namely Adebayor and Poromo, who had sold them at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Accra.
Prosecution said cash in the sum of GHC7,000 and GHc4,000 being proceeds of phone sold and part of the withdrawal made from the ATM respectively, were also retrieved from Adebayor.
According to prosecution. the iPhone 12 could not be retrieved.
GNA
SOF