The Central North Regional Police Command says it has rescued a 30-year-old man, Bismarck Amo, who was allegedly kidnapped, tortured and held for ransom, and arrested four suspects in an intelligence-led operation.
The operation, code-named “Operation Rescue the Victim and Arrest the Perpetrators,” was coordinated by Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno and involved personnel from the Central North Regional Command, the Regional Crime Office, the Anti-Armed Robbery Unit, CID Headquarters and the Police Intelligence Directorate (PID) in the Ashanti Region.
According to the Police, the victim was allegedly lured from his residence at Assin Fosu to Kumasi following a financial dispute involving one of the suspects, Mavis Badu Acheampong, a teacher at Kumasi Girls Senior High School.
The Police said preliminary investigations indicate that on September 3, 2026, Amo allegedly defrauded Acheampong of an unspecified amount of money.
She subsequently allegedly connived with her husband, described by the Police as a senior military officer who is currently outside the country, to lure the victim to Kumasi.
Upon his arrival, Amo was allegedly kidnapped with the assistance of three other suspects and taken to Acheampong’s private residence, where he was held between September 6 and September 11.
The Police said the victim was allegedly subjected to severe torture despite his family paying GH¢19,500 in ransom.
The suspects allegedly recorded videos of the abuse and sent them to the victim’s family while demanding GH¢45,000, which they claimed was to cover the alleged debt and expenses incurred in locating him.
The family was subsequently threatened with the victim’s execution if an additional GH¢30,500 was not paid, according to the Police.
The four suspects arrested have been identified as Mavis Badu Acheampong, 42, a teacher; Charles Doku, 53, a security guard; Oteng Baffour, 31, an electrician; and Kenneth Opoku Kwarteng, alias “Culture,” whose age has not yet been confirmed and who is also a teacher at Kumasi Girls Senior High School.
All four are residents of Breman UGC and are currently in Police custody assisting with investigations.
The victim’s family reported the incident to the Regional CID in Assin Fosu on September 8, after paying the GH¢19,500 ransom without securing his release.
The Police said this immediately triggered the rescue operation, with tracking and tactical teams deployed to locate the victim and apprehend those allegedly responsible.
On September 11, the suspects allegedly attempted to move Amo to another undisclosed location after realising that the Police were closing in on them.
According to the Police, the suspects instructed a driver to abandon the victim by the roadside, but tactical teams intercepted them during the transfer and rescued Amo.
He was subsequently taken to a medical facility, where he remains admitted under Police escort and is receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the ordeal.
The Police said they are also pursuing a senior military officer allegedly linked to the incident, as well as other accomplices who remain at large.
The Central North Regional Police Command has cautioned members of the public against taking the law into their own hands, stressing that financial disputes or other grievances do not justify kidnapping, torture or extortion.
The Police further assured the public of their commitment to dismantling criminal networks and bringing suspects before the courts.
The four arrested suspects are being processed for court as investigations continue.
