Seven arrested for abducting and killing 12-year boy at Nornyikpo

The Kpetoe District Police have arrested seven persons in connection with the recent abduction and subsequent killing of a 12-year-old boy, Cornelius Negble at Nornyikpo, a farming community in Agotime-Ziope District of the Volta Region.

The suspects are; Hunor Kofi Koko alias Ando Kofi, 30, Anani Koko, 23, Senanu Ashitor Atsikpo, 28, Kwamevi Kagbetor 37, Louis Etse, 25, Kudzo Akpatsu, 49 and Fianyo Sandema, 39.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Mr Edward Oduro Kwateng, Volta Regional Commander, in a briefing to the media, said on May 22, 2021 at about 0700 hours, one Mary Amewornu reported to the Police at Kpetoe that her grandson had gone missing.

He said about 1830 hours same day, the Assembly member for Atsrulume Electoral Area with help of five others arrested suspect Senanu Ashitor Atsikpo upon suspicion that he was the architect of the disappearance of the deceased and handed him over to the Police.

The Commander said the Police re-arrested the suspect and detained him to assist in investigations.

DCOP Kwateng said on May 26, 2021, Police gathered information to the effect that Atsikpo acted in concert with two other accomplices to abduct and kill the deceased for ritual purposes at a shrine at Nudowukorpe, near Tadzewu.

He said Police quickly went to shrine but could not find the suspects, however, on May 31, Police returned to the shrine and arrested them.

The Commander said the body of the boy which was put in a sack and buried in one of the rooms was exhumed with maggots all over it.

DCOP Kwateng said one Sanya motorbike with registration number M-19-VR-1348 used to convey the body, one pair of black slippers belonging to the deceased were retrieved from the murder scene, whiles a single slipper, a set of dresses and one duster were also retrieved from the shrine.

He said the Environmental Health Officers conducted inspection on the body and it was revealed that the intestines, kidney heart and penis of the deceased have been removed.

Mr Kwateng said the body was sent to Police Hospital in Accra for preservation and autopsy.

DCOP Kwateng said Police proceeded to arrest suspect Kudzo Akpatsu, father of suspect Morris Etse who is currently at large, Kwami Kagbetor, Louis Etse, who were implicated in the conspiracy from the hideouts.

He said further investigation revealed that suspect Atsikpo, a native of Ative, deals in human parts and promised to get a fetish priest, Hunor Kofi Koko, human parts to perform sacrifices to build a new deity to be named Agbavor.

The Commander said Hunor Koko then instructed Anani and Morris to meet Atsikpo at Nornyikpo for the sacrifices, and Atsikpo directed them via phone call to meet him at a location to undertake their plans.

Mr Kwateng said during the meeting of the trio, Atsikpo called the boy to accompany him to a forest, and he obliged, and at the forest the trio killed him, put his body in a sack and conveyed it on a motor bike to the shrine for the rituals.

DCOP Kwateng said at a meeting a witness eavesdropped on their conversation, but did not know who the target was until the disappearance of the boy was noticed.

He disclosed that when Hunor and his accomplices knew that police were after them, they escaped to Aflao and eventually crossed the border to Togo.

The Commander said on June 18, 2021, the Police secured warrant of arrest and extradition order from a court to enable them to arrest the suspects in the Republic of Togo.

He said on June 19, this year, Interpol Togo arrested Hunor Koko and his brother Anani Koko at Voga in Togo and extradited them to Ghana to assist in investigations.

DCOP Kwateng said five out of the seven suspects, admitted their roles in killing of the boy, and have been remanded into police custody by Kpetoe District Magistrate Court to reappear on July 5, 2021.