TWO KIDNAPPED GHANAIANS RESCUED

Story: Mary Mensah
TWO Ghanaian businessmen who were kidnapped by armed men in Nigeria have been rescued through a collaborative effort between the security forces of Ghana and Nigeria.
The two, Francis Awuzah of Rapid Oil Company Limited in Cape Coast and his cousin, Felix Doku, were in Nigeria to inspect eight companies which had applied to supply palm oil to Rapid Oil’s mother company in Germany. On arrival in Lagos, however, they were allegedly kidnapped and taken to Benin City, from where their captors demanded a $100,000 ransom from their employers in Ghana before their release.
But after two weeks in captivity, they were rescued by the coalition of Ghana-Nigeria forces.
Police sources said when the Ghanaians were captured, they called their employers, who in turn informed Interpol in Accra. The organisation informed its counterpart in Lagos and last Sunday the kidnapped men were traced to Edo State in Nigeria where they were rescued.
The suspects, however, managed to escape but one of them, who gave his name only as Friday, was arrested and he is currently assisting the police in their investigations.
The two have since returned to Ghana and been re-united with their families.
According to the Deputy Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, ACOP Ken Yeboah, directors of the mother company in Germany established a business contract with eight Nigerian companies which were to supply the company with palm oil.
The German company requested the Ghana office to send a representative to Nigeria for feasibility studies before the contract with the Nigerians would be sealed.
He said on October 23, 2007, Mr Awuzah was asked to proceed to Nigeria and he also asked his cousin Doku to accompany him. On arrival in Lagos, they called the contact person who directed them to pick a vehicle to Benin City where they would be met by a gentleman called Sam.
The two managed to get to their destination and taken to a house where they were informed that they had been kidnapped so they should call Ghana for a ransom of $100,000 to be paid or be killed.