Kidnapping case: How suspects bought SIM cards from mobile money agent to receive ransom

On Tuesday, May 6, 2025 the Ghana Police Service gave a blow-by-blow account of how two Ghanaian women were lured to Nigerian and later kidnapped.

The police had earlier on May 1, 2025 announced that the two female kidnap victims captured in a viral video had been rescued through collaboration with the National Signals Bureau (NSB) and the Nigeria Police Force.

The suspects have been identified as Christian Emeka, 27, Basil Okonkwo, 29, Peter Okoye, 31, Paulinus Chidokwe, 35, Chinoso Okafor, 35, Titus Mbah Awuni, 25, Amabio Alfred, 21 and Mahama Manasseh Nii Martey, 33.

At a press briefing in Accra on May 6, Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), DCOP Lydia Yaako Donkor revealed that upon the arrest and interrogation of suspect Alfred Amabio, he disclosed that “he was not directly involved in the crime but said one Titus Mbah Awuni had used his Ghana Card details and that of his brother to register their SIM Cards and sold them out to the Nigerians without their consent.”

Per investigations conducted by the police so far, it came to light that suspect Titus Mbah Awuni who is a mobile money agent in Bolgatanga had links with one Abdul Mubariq Zakaria, an employee of one of the Telecommunications company.

Read also: Police details how 2 Ghanaian women were lured through marriage proposals to Nigeria and later kidnapped

Titus Mbah alleged that Zakaria gave him his official log in credentials and also forwarded a one-time pin for two factor verification to him which he (Titus Mbah) used to log in the SIM registration app of the Telecommunication company to register subscriber SIM Cards with other people’s Ghana Card details without their consent and sell the SIM cards at GH? 150 each.

Suspect Emeka Christian who had been arrested on May 1, 2025 told police that in April 2025, he invited another suspect, Basil Okonkwo from Nigeria to Ghana to assist him to do business and gather money to perform his father’s funeral.

He added that Peter Okoye called him while he (Emeka) was in Ghana and requested his mobile money number to receive some money.

Emeka said he forwarded his MTN number to Okoye and thereafter, Peter Okoye informed him that he had kidnapped some Ghanaian ladies who are with him in Nigeria, hence he will use Emeka’s mobile money account to collect the ransom, which Emeka obliged.

“Later, Peter Okoye called that he needed an additional mobile money number for the same purpose,” DCOP Donkor added.

Emeka then went back to Titus Mbah Awuni again and bought a SIM card registered in the name of Alfred Amoh Obio and forwarded same to Peter Okoye.

These two numbers were then used to receive a ransom in the sum of GH?13,200 from families of the victims.

“He claimed in all, he received GH? 5000, another GH? 5000 and another GH? 3200 totaling GH? 13,200 through MTN number 0536630088.

“Out of the amount, he took GHC900 for himself, GHC450 for transfer charges and then he transferred the balance of GHC12,200 to the said Peter Okoye through a phone number registered in the name Mahama Manasseh Nii Martey,” police reveal.

Read also: We’re working to transport kidnap victims from Nigeria; extradite suspects to Ghana – Police

The police added: “The money was then converted to Naira and sent to a Nigerian bank account provided by suspect, Peter Okoye bearing the name Cecilia Williams.”

Upon the arrest of suspects; Christian Emeka and Basil Okonkowo, the Ghana Police Service was able to identify the true address and identity of suspect Peter Okoye who has custody of the victims.

These details were then shared with INTERPOL Nigeria and they aided in the arrest of suspects Peter Okoye, 31, Paulinus Chidokwe, 35, and Chinoso Okafor, 35 in Port Harcourt, Onitsha in Nigeria.

How relatives of the victims got to know of the kidnapping 

The police briefing says on April 25, 2025 police received complaints about the missing of Anastasia Badu Arthur that she left home on April 22, 2025 to Hohoe for a routine medical checkup and did not return.

The relatives of Anastasia had earlier on April 24, 2025 received video of her kidnap from the kidnappers who demanded a ransom of GH? 500,000.

On April 30, 2025 a relative of the second victim, Evelyn Serwaa Konadu reported at the missing persons unit of the kidnap of her relative. They received a video of the victim tied to a chair, with kidnappers demanding a ransom of GHC50,000.

A phone number registered in the name Bukari Danladi was provided for the payment of the ransom. An amount of GH? 5000 was first paid to the said phone number and later an amount of GH? 8000 was paid to another number registered in the name Barikisu Mohammed.

An investigation team established by the police revealed that the videos of the victims were taken at the same location and the numbers provided to receive the payment of the ransom were the same.

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