Human Rights Reporters-Ghana (HRRG) as an NGO committed to fight against all forms of violence that affects our women, girls and children in all forms including Sexual and Gender Based Violence(SGBVs) and Harmful Practices, Child rights(Child Trafficking, Modern Slavery), Women’s and Girls rights(Kayayei, gender equality, FGM, Child Marriages etc.) Rape, Domestic Violence and the like, we write to express HRR-G concern over the recent kidnapping of girls in Ghana.
This is causing fear and panic among our sisters and daughters who have become targets those engaged in this inhuman act against women in general.
This is disturbing, every new report of a missing girl is a big worry to Human Rights Reporters-Ghana (HRRG) hence we are by this press release adding our voice to all and sundry who have the return and or finding of the missing girls at heart.
The Takoradi municipality kidnapping cases have become a world news. Human Rights Reporters-Ghana (HRR-G) stands in solidarity with the missing girls and their families and condemn the act.
The Ghana Police Service continues to work around the clock to unravel the mysteries surrounding these disappearances but as a nation, we have looked on for far too many kidnappings to take place before we began to take the matter serious.
The reactive steps taken after the missing of the third girl is rather unfortunate. The Ghana Police Service should have employed all the seriousness they are exhibiting now long before the second girl was kidnapped.
Information we have gathered indicated the, 16 year old SHS student kidnapped on August 15, 2018 has been dumb since she was found, and has been battling with the trauma of the ordeal.
It was very disheartening to hear that, another lady, 21 years of age, suffered a similar fate in the same Takoradi Metropolis at the Nkroful junction.
The last that was heard from her on the faithful day she was kidnapped was “daa-daa-daa” as she tried t reach her father on the phone. Kidnappers requested for a ransom, which has been paid yet the girl has not been released.
On December 4, 2018 yet another girl was kindnapped by persons who had dressed as if they worked with the telecos company MTN. The end and short of that story is that, another girls fell victim.
December 21, 2018, January 24, 2019, January 25, 2019 have all been days on which our girls have been kidnapped by the gang engaged in inhuman activity.
The entire nation continues to live in fear however, Human Rights Reporters-Ghana ((HRR-G) says enough is enough. We must get answers now! The Interior ministers responds “I’m not a prophet” is rather unfortunate.
We stand in solidarity with the people of Takoradi and the entire nation and call for concerted effort by all stakeholders to #bringtheGhanaiansgirls.
We further condemn the barbaric act and encourage everyone to be vigilant as we nab down this perpetrators.
We believe sincerely that many others should add their voices and join us not to only condemn these acts, but continue to be on the smart lookout in our environment, provide any leads as we continue the search to find our missing girls.
We further challenge the police to use this occasion to gain the confidence of the Ghanaians people by helping solve this jigsaw puzzle in Takoradi and other places where the kidnapping is going on.
We urge the police who have partnered security experts from the US and UK as we have been made to believe to speed up the process and do a professional job this time round.
