Afiba Abigail Tandoh
Following a month-long search for a missing Ghanaian lady, Afiba Abigail Tandoh and her friend Celine Chidinma Ndidum, significant developments have emerged pointing towards suspect Andrew Amechi Otchipo, a 52-year-old British Nigerian with deep connections in Nigeria.
Otchipo, a supposed notorious figure wanted by security agencies, was apprehended by Interpol in Nigeria to aid in investigations related to the disappearance of the two women.
Close Circuit Camera (CCTV) footage from the hotel where the trio met revealed crucial evidence linking the suspect to the missing girls, including personal belongings such as the ladies hand bags, ATM cards among others were found in his residence.
Despite this breakthrough, authorities are facing challenges in extracting information from Otchipo regarding the whereabouts of Afiba and Celine.
The Ghanaian government, deeply concerned about the welfare of its citizens, has instructed the Consulate in Nigeria to intensify efforts to locate the missing individuals. Pressure is mounting on the Nigerian Police Force to expedite the search for Afiba and Celine, whose sudden disappearance has raised alarm in both countries as a relations of the Ghanaian who happens to be top politicians in Ghana are living anything to chances in rescuing their relation.
Information available to DGN Online shed light on the intricate sequence of events leading up to Afiba’s sudden disappearance.
Following the unexpected cancellation of the wedding they intended to attend, both Afiba and Celine rendezvoused with another acquaintance, Adiani Blessing Onyinye, whose wedding was called off at Garden Heights Estate in GRA, Port Harcourt on April 19, 2024.
Subsequently, the pair undertook a journey to meet Celine’s associate which has been revealed to be suspect Andrew Amechi in Aba, Abia State, on April 27, 2024, ahead of their purportedly a business engagement centered around pet-related ventures—an area of expertise for the Ghanaian visitor. Promising to return by April 29, Afiba and Celine were last seen at Panyu Hotel and Resort in Abia with the aid of a CCTV footages before their presence became alarmingly absent from public view.
Concern over the fate of the two women escalated dramatically when, on Sunday, April 28, reports emerged hinting at a possible abduction scenario via text messages to friends and relatives.
An urgent message sent via WhatsApp from Afiba Tandoh phone included a live location marker, directing the recipient— Blessing in Port Harcourt—to alert the authorities promptly. In response to this distress call, the matter was swiftly relayed to the Aba Anti Kidnapping Squad, urging collaborative efforts with the esteemed Nigeria Police Force to expedite search and rescue actions in the pursuit of locating the missing individuals.
Amidst the uncertainty surrounding Afiba Abigail Tandoh’s inexplicable vanishing act in a foreign land, familial distress and official apprehension heighten the urgency to unravel the circumstances underpinning this distressing disappearance.
As waves of speculation ripple through the Ghanaian community, especially at Jomoro in the Western Region, the imperative to track down Afiba and her companion underscores the gravity of safeguarding individuals crossing borders and the vital role law enforcement plays in responding decisively to such poignant cases of missing persons.
By Vincent Kubi