Tamale High Court jails four kidnappers eight years each
A High Court in Tamale has sentenced four men to eight years each in prison after finding them guilty of kidnapping and ransom-related offences in a case that has drawn attention to a wider pattern of abduction crimes in the Northern Region.
The convicted individuals, identified as Haruna Seidu, Osman Sambo, Amadu Aminu, and Hoyeefe Amadu, were prosecuted for their role in the abduction of a man in Wapuli, where they allegedly demanded a ransom from the victim’s relatives before being tracked down by police.
Law enforcement officials say the breakthrough came when intelligence officers intercepted the suspects while they were dividing ransom money along the Yendi–Bimbilla road at Bokpaba. That arrest ultimately led to their prosecution at the Tamale High Court Two.
The court found the group guilty on multiple counts, including conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, causing harm and issuing threats of death. Each was handed an eight-year custodial sentence with hard labour, to run concurrently.
Authorities also ordered the confiscation and auction of motorbikes and mobile phones used in the operation, with proceeds directed into the state’s Consolidated Fund. A portion of the recovered ransom, GH¢70,010, is to be returned to the complainant’s family.
Security officials say the case is part of a broader investigation into a series of kidnapping incidents across the region, some of which remain unresolved.
In a related briefing, police disclosed another case in the Kabulya area where armed suspects allegedly stormed a home, assaulted residents and abducted a boy. The attackers reportedly reduced their initial ransom demand from GH¢100,000 to GH¢20,000 before police intercepted one suspect and recovered cash and an unregistered motorbike. Several accomplices remain at large.
Another disturbing case under investigation involves the abduction and killing of a 26-year-old herdsman in the Mion District. The victim was reportedly taken while grazing cattle, with abductors demanding a large ransom before his body was later discovered with gunshot wounds near River Dakar.
Northern Regional Police Commander DCOP Wisdom Lavoe, who briefed journalists in Tamale, said investigations into all related cases are ongoing and that efforts are underway to arrest remaining suspects linked to the crimes.
He said police are combining intelligence work with digital tracking methods to dismantle kidnapping networks operating within the region.
Despite the convictions, authorities acknowledge that several suspects connected to separate incidents are still on the run, and they are appealing to the public to assist with information that could lead to further arrests.
Police have urged residents to report suspicious activity through emergency lines or to the nearest police station as part of ongoing efforts to curb violent crime in the region.
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