Two Nigerians have been busted by the agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the local Police for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of an 80-year-old American. 

They are Emmanuel Adedoyin Adebayor, a 28-year-old trader, and Esther Ogbonna, a beautician. 

Dennis Poromo, the third accused, is said to be at large. 

Appearing before an Accra Circuit Court, Adebayor and Poromo have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime to wit kidnapping and stealing, kidnapping and stealing. 

Esther is facing an abetment charge. 

Adebayor and Esther have pleaded not guilty. 

The Court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah has admitted the two accused persons to bail in the sum of GHC500,000 with two sureties. 

One of the sureties, the Court said should come from the Nigerian Community in Ghana and the other should be a Ghanaian. 

Again, the accused persons should deposit their travelling certificate at the Court’s Registrar’s office, and they are to report themselves to the Police twice every month. 

The matter has been adjourned to March 5, 2025. 

Prosecuting Chief Inspector Daniel Danku who held brief of Superintendent of Police Augustine Yirenkyi, said on December 6, 2024, the Police received a complaint from the FBI agents of the American Embassy in Accra that a female United States of America citizen, Diana Christine Nelson, had been kidnapped by some unknown persons. 

Chief Inspector Danku said the 80-year-old victim arrived in Ghana on November 22, 2024. 

The prosecution said the Police commenced investigations and intelligence-led the Police to a hotel in Larteh Akwapim on December 8, 2024. 

Information gathered indicated that the victim and one of the accused persons were in the hotel. 

On December 11, 2024, Police intelligence led to the arrest of Adebayor when he went to withdraw money from the accounts of the victim using her US ATM debit card. 

The prosecution said Adebayor led the Police to a house in Tema Community 11, where the victim was being held hostage in an apartment. 

The Court heard that the victim who appeared traumatized was taken to the hospital. 

The prosecution said the investigations revealed that Adebayor posed as one Mark Hammond, a popular actor in the US, to lure the victim to Ghana. 

Esther, the second accused, picked the victim up from the Kotoka International Airport, took her to an apartment in East Legon Hills and later transferred her to Tema Community 11. 

The prosecution said from the time the victim arrived in Ghana until their arrest, it was Esther who was taking care of the victim. 

The Court also heard that the victim arrived in the country with four phones. 

“All the phones and her bank cards were seized from her and warned not to disclose any information to anyone.” Prosecution told the Court. 

According to the prosecution, Adebayor and his friend, Poromo, now at large, succeeded in withdrawing a total of $15,821.70 from the victim’s bank account using her visa card and also demanded a ransom of $150,000 from the family of the victim. 

The Prosecutor said the bank cards and mobile phones, namely “Bru phone, Samsung Galaxy A15, and iPhone 12 belonging to the victim were retrieved from the accused persons, namely Adebayor and Poromo, who sold them at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Accra. 

The prosecution said cash in the sum of GH¢7,000 and GH¢4,000 being proceeds of the phone sold and part of the withdrawal made from the ATM respectively, were also retrieved from Adebayor. 

The Court heard that the iPhone 12 could not be retrieved.