The Ghana Police Service has rescued a 30-year-old man, Bismarck Amo, who was allegedly kidnapped, tortured and held for six days in Assin Fosu in the Central Region, with four suspects arrested in an intelligence-led operation.
The police said the operation, conducted on September 11, 2026, followed a report by the victim’s family after they paid GH¢19,500 in ransom but the kidnappers continued to hold Amo and demanded an additional GH¢30,500.
The four suspects in custody have been identified as Mavis Badu Acheampong, 42, a teacher at Kumasi Girls Senior High School; Charles Doku, 53, a security guard; Oteng Baffour, 31, an electrician; and Kenneth Opoku Kwarteng, also known as Culture, whose age was not confirmed.
According to the Central North Regional Police Command, the suspects are assisting with investigations and will be processed for court.
Police investigations indicate that the incident began on September 3, when Amo allegedly defrauded Mavis Badu Acheampong of an unspecified amount of money.
The police statement said that after realising she had allegedly been defrauded, Acheampong, with the alleged assistance of her husband — described by police as a senior military officer currently outside the country — lured Amo from his residence to Assin Fosu through a telephone conversation.
Police allege that when Amo arrived, Acheampong, Doku, Baffour and other persons who remained at large forcibly abducted him.
He was subsequently held at Acheampong’s private residence from September 6 to September 11, according to the police.
The suspects allegedly used mobile phones belonging to their own associates to communicate with Amo’s family in an attempt to avoid being traced.
Ransom paid but victim remained captive
The police said Amo’s family paid GH¢19,500 after the kidnappers demanded a ransom.
Despite receiving the money, the suspects allegedly continued to hold him and demanded another GH¢30,500, threatening to kill him if the additional amount was not paid.
Police said the suspects also recorded and sent videos of the victim being abused to his family as part of their ransom demands.
The police statement alleges that Amo was stripped naked, tied and subjected to severe physical abuse while in captivity.
He was reportedly beaten repeatedly, suffering serious injuries to his head and other parts of his body.
Police launch rescue operation
Amo’s family reported the case to the Regional Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Assin Fosu on September 8, after paying the ransom but failing to secure his release.
The report triggered an intelligence-led operation code-named “Operation Rescue the Victim and Arrest the Perpetrators”, coordinated by Inspector-General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno.
Police said the operation involved coordination across regional boundaries as investigators tracked the suspects.
Kidnappers intercepted during attempted transfer
According to the police, the suspects attempted to move Amo to another location on September 11 after realising that law enforcement was closing in on them.
They allegedly instructed a driver to abandon the victim by the roadside as they attempted to evade arrest.
Police tactical teams, however, intercepted the suspects while they were in transit and rescued Amo.
The victim was found partially unconscious, covered in blood and suffering severe bruises across his body, according to the police.
He was immediately taken to a medical facility, where he remains under police protection and receiving treatment for his physical injuries and psychological trauma.
Four suspects in custody
The four arrested suspects remain in police custody while investigators continue to establish the full circumstances of the kidnapping and identify other people allegedly involved.
Police said they are also pursuing the senior military officer whom they allege was involved in the initial scheme, along with other suspected accomplices who remain at large.
The police did not identify the military officer in the statement.
Authorities said investigations are continuing to determine the respective roles of the suspects and gather evidence for prosecution.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to identify all persons allegedly connected to the kidnapping and bring them before the law.