A Military Officer and four accomplices have been remanded in custody by an Accra Circuit Court for their alleged involvement in the robbery and kidnapping of a Dutch national, Lodewijk Frederikus. The accused include WOl Elorm John Ahiakpor, a military officer, along with Silas Amewonye, Farouk Nudio, Daniel Kwesi Obiri Yeboah (also known as Aljazeera), and Michael Nana Addo.
They face charges of conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnapping, as well as direct involvement in both crimes. All five pleaded not guilty, with their lawyers, Andy Vortia and Carlos De-Souza, arguing for bail. Vortia, representing Ahiakpor, emphasized that the charges were bailable, and there was no evidence suggesting a history of bond jumping. De-Souza added that remanding Ahiakpor, a military officer with 24 years of service and no prior infractions, would jeopardize his career. However, the prosecution, led by ASP Kofi Anane, opposed the bail, citing the seriousness of the charges and the ongoing investigation.
According to the prosecution, the Dutch national arrived in Ghana on October 17, 2024, to meet his friend, Silas Amewonye, about a land purchase. Amewonye and Nudio met him at the airport and took him to a lodge, later bringing him to Amewonye’s residence. On October 20, Frederikus grew suspicious of their behavior and expressed his desire to return home.
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In response, Amewonye and his accomplices allegedly locked him in a room, kidnapped him, and demanded a ransom of 15,000 Euros. The victim negotiated the amount to 8,000 Euros, but when he delayed in transferring the money, four of the accused took him at gunpoint to an ATM, forcing him to withdraw Ghc6,000. The police intervened after Frederikus made a distress call, rescuing him and arresting the suspects. The court has adjourned the case to October 29, 2024.
