File Photo: A 16-year-old footballer who was allegedly sodomized by coach passes on
Ransford, a 16-year-old footballer who was allegedly being sodomized by the coach of his club, Siano Soccer Academy, has passed away.
The alleged prime suspect is at large and has been declared wanted, according to the mother of the deceased child.
In a video sighted by GhanaWeb, the mother placed a GH¢5,000 bounty on the coach and pleaded with Ghanaians to assist her in seeking justice.
“The police took over the case but couldn’t help me. My child is dead. I plead with Ghanaians to help me. The coach is wanted, and there is GH¢5,000 reward for anyone who will assist in his arrest,” she said in a video shared by Sika Official on X (formerly Twitter)
Ransford spent his last days at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospitals, battling severe illness after suffering sexual abuse for the past three years.
Speaking on Oyerepa FM, the mother of the boy who joined the Amasaman-based soccer academy three years ago stated that she initially did not want to release her son to the club, having turned down the reputable WAFA Academy earlier.
She, however, reluctantly agreed to let the son join the team due to fear of sabotaging his son’s football career as many scouts had been impressed with his talent.
She now regrets her decision as the son has become a victim of sodomy by the coach who has been identified as Ibrahim Anyass.
“I was initially hesitant and didn’t want my son to leave home because of how he is. He’s someone who does not like eating and needs special attention, so I always wanted to be close to him. Eventually, I had to release him because I didn’t want to be accused of blocking my son’s path to success. He was taken to a team at Amasaman in Accra. For three years, I visited him periodically with food items until recently, when I fell ill.
“While I was unwell, I tried consistently to reach the coach, but he never answered any of my calls. After successive failures, I used someone’s phone to call the coach, and he picked this time around. I spoke to my son and told him that I had been unwell for some time. I also quizzed him on why he had never called me and he said their phones were seized.
“Two weeks later, I received information that my son was sick so I called the coach who downplayed the seriousness of the situation. As a mother, I was not okay with the situation, so I decided to visit the place and see things for myself. The coach had promised that my son was receiving healthcare, but I discovered that it wasn’t true. He only took him to the hospital on the eve of my visit.
“Immediately, I saw my son, I knew that he would be dead if I didn’t take any action within three days. So I forcefully brought back my son, and for the last three months, we’ve been moving from hospital to hospital. I thought he had been cursed, so I pressed him to tell me the truth about his situation. One day, he told me that he was sodomized by the coach. He immediately went into a coma after the confession, and for the past three months, he has been battling for his life. I haven’t slept since,” she narrated on Oyerepa FM.
Club’s action:
A day after the disturbing revelations, officials of the club visited Oyerepa FM to engage with the mother and host of the show.
The club has also issued a statement suspending the coach, pending further investigations.
EE/BB
Meanwhile, watch the latest edition of Sports Check with the owner of Spintex Knights, Dr Opoku-Antwi below:
