Kidnapping, a worrying alien culture, is fast gaining roots in Ghana as startling statistics from the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service show that within the last twelve months, the country recorded six cases of hostage-taking.
Data recorded by DOVVSU from January to December 2009 revealed that in June alone, three case of kidnapping were recorded. October, November and December recorded one case each, bringing the total to six in a year. Kidnapping, which is the act of taking people hostage for purposes of making demands, mostly huge sums of money, is most often employed by criminals in a number of western countries for undeserved gains. In Ghana however, the practice had never been part of the way and life of the people until last year, the more reason most parents interviewed on the streets expressed worry over the development.
According to the public relations officer of DOVVSU, Chief Inspector Irene Oppong, some of the cases recorded are under investigations, while others are already before court for prosecution. The 2009 statistics made available to the Heritage newspaper also recorded a total of 115 cases of abduction and 11 cases of child stealing as well as 2,458 assault cases.
Henry Okine, a parent whose view the paper sought, lamented that the influx of foreign culture is fast having a negative influence on the teeming youth of the country. He said such practices as kidnapping are blindly copied from foreign movies, �so people think that they can make money from, and are learning it, it is unfortunate. Mr. Okine, a father of four, called on Ghanaians to instill discipline in their wards and ensure that they can censure what their wards are exposed to on television.
<<Print>>