News:
February 11, 2026
A former Secretary to the Inspector General of Police and current Member of Parliament for Wa West, Lanchene Peter Toobu, has described the investigation of missing persons as a “complicated matter,” explaining why the Ghana Police Service established a specialised Missing Persons Unit in 2002.
Contributing to a statement on the floor of Parliament delivered by Dr. Abed-Nego A. Lamangin Bandim regarding the security situation and reported disappearances in Nakpanduri, Mr. Toobu called for a restructuring of the investigative framework.
He proposed that the Police’s Cold Case Unit should be merged with the Missing Persons Unit to enhance efficiency. He also threw his weight behind the statement’s call for the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to be involved.
Additionally, Mr. Toobu recommended that the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), and the National Signal Bureau be brought on board to assist in missing persons investigations.
The MP outlined a wide range of reasons why people go missing, emphasising that not all cases are criminal.
“People voluntarily run away from their homes because they have been tortured. Domestic violence occurs, and people never return. It is becoming common these days for men to be tortured by their wives; some leave home on their own and never get back,” he stated.
He added that others are abducted or kidnapped—which he stressed is a crime—while some are trafficked. “Others go missing because of health-related challenges like dementia. Your brain is no longer with you; you walk out of your house and never return, and it will be said you are missing.”
Turning to the current situation in the North East Region, Mr. Toobu referenced an incident in mid-January 2026 where police barriers were set on fire by unknown persons.
“When you get an environment that is poisoned with insecurity, it is not strange for you to find people disappearing,” he said.
He noted that over the past five years (2021 to 2026), seven people have disappeared in the area, and several other incidents have caught the community’s attention. He also acknowledged that some cases are neither criminal nor voluntary, explaining that there are people who commit suicide: “If you are lucky, you would see them; if not, you will never see them again.”
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com