Two Nigerian nationals accused of kidnapping an 80-year-old American woman, Diana Christine Nelson, have made their second appearance before the Circuit Court in Accra.
The accused, Emmanuel Adedoyin Adebayor and Esther Ogbonna, arrived in handcuffs after failing to meet their bail conditions. Escorted by security officers, they were led into the courtroom as their case was heard.
At a previous hearing on February 21, 2025, the trial judge, His Honour Samuel Bright Acquah, granted them bail set at GH¢500,000 each, with two sureties.
The conditions required that one surety be a Nigerian residing in Ghana and the other a Ghanaian citizen.
However, despite this ruling, the accused remain in custody due to their inability to fulfill the bail requirements.
The case has been adjourned to March 17.
According to the prosecution, Adebayor and Ogbonna conspired to lure Nelson to Ghana under false pretenses. Adebayor, using the alias “Mark Hammond,” allegedly posed as a well-known American actor to convince the elderly woman to travel to Ghana on November 22, 2024.
Upon her arrival at Kotoka International Airport, she was met by Ogbonna, who took her to a residence in East Legon Hills.
Nelson was later moved to an apartment in Tema Community 11, where she was held captive.
The suspects allegedly seized her mobile phones and bank cards, cutting off her communication with the outside world.
Investigators revealed that Adebayor and another suspect, Dennis Poromo—who remains at large—used her bank cards to withdraw $15,821.70 from her accounts. They also reportedly demanded a $150,000 ransom from her family in the U.S. via Snapchat.
The case came to light after FBI officials at the U.S. Embassy in Accra alerted Ghanaian authorities. A police intelligence operation led to Nelson’s discovery at a hotel in Larteh Akwapim on December 8, 2024. Days later, on December 11, Adebayor was arrested while attempting to withdraw money using Nelson’s debit card.
Under interrogation, he led investigators, including Detective Corporal Daniel Serekye, to the Tema Community 11 apartment, where Nelson was found weak and traumatized. She was immediately taken to a hospital for medical care.
As evidence, the prosecution has gathered CCTV footage and images, including recordings of Nelson’s arrival at the airport, photographs of the residences where she was held, and video clips showing Adebayor and Poromo withdrawing money from ATMs using her bank card.
Investigations also revealed that the suspects had sold her mobile phones—an iPhone 15, a Samsung Galaxy A15, and a Bru phone—at Kwame Nkrumah Circle.
However, authorities have so far recovered GH¢7,000 in cash and GH¢4,000 from ATM withdrawals. Nelson’s iPhone 12 remains missing.
With Dennis Poromo still on the run, law enforcement agencies are intensifying efforts to track him down.
The case continues to draw significant attention as the prosecution builds its case against the accused.
