Lauren Patricia Catherine Tilley, 19; and Bailey Jordan Chitty, 20
The Canadian Government has through its High Commission in Ghana expressed gratitude to the Ghana Police Service and the Ghanaian Government for rescuing two of its citizens.
The two Canadian women were rescued on Wednesday, June 12, 2019, after their abduction in Kumasi on June 4, 2019.
In a post on its official Facebook page, the Canadian High Commission said “thanks to the Ghana Police Service and the Government of Ghana for all efforts made to secure the safe release of the Canadians. We also appreciate the messages of support and concern from many Ghanaians and Canadians.”
Lauren Patricia Catherine Tilley, 19, and Bailey Jordan Chitty, 20, both students working as volunteers in Ghana for an international development organisation, Youth Challenge International, were allegedly abducted recently and taken to unknown destination by some gun-wielding men.
The captors had ambushed the young women on a driveway at Ahodwo-Nhyiaeso near the Royal Gulf Club in Kumasi, whilst returning from a food joint in an Uber car.
They were bundled into a Toyota Camry saloon car and whisked away after stepping out of the car to go to their hostel at the Silver Spring avenue.
They have since returned to Canada after their rescue.
Arrests
Five Ghanaians and three Nigerians were placed in police custody after their arrests in Kumasi on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 in connection with the kidnappings of the two Canadian women.
They appeared in court today in Accra.
Rescue Mission
According to the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, it a took a National Security team 25 minutes to rescue the women from a house at Kanyasi, a suburb of Kumasi.
Team Members
The Security team comprised Bureau of National Investigation, Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service, the Special Weapons And Tactics Unit, Defense Intelligence.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said there was no support from security experts from Canada as earlier reported.
He said Canadians were brought into the country to explore ways in which they could help the Ghanaian security operatives to rescue the ladies but it turned out National Security could handle the operation.
He also denied that the Canadians provided satellite data to aid the rescue of the women.
The Minister confirmed DGN Online‘s earlier report that there were gunshots from the compound the suspects were being accommodated.
He further confirmed DGN Online’s report that another Nigerian suspected to be the ringleader in the kidnapping of the three Takoradi girls, John Orji, has been arrested in Togo.
He said a Ghanaian was providing them accommodation for the kidnappers.
According to him, at the end of the operation, the two Nigerians who were holding the Canadians were subdued and the third Nigerian was later arrested.
BY Melvin Tarlue