A/R: Heartbreaking! 5-Month-Old Baby Stolen At Asafo Market In Kumasi-Distrauht Family Cries For Help To Find Akwasi Banahene

There is deep pain, tears and anguish at the Asafo Market in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti Region following the shocking theft of a five-month-old baby boy by an unknown woman.

The suspect, described as a woman believed to be between 37 and 40 years old, has reportedly fled with the baby boy, leaving the mother, family and the entire market in a state of shock and despair.

The baby has been identified as Akwasi Banahene, 5 months old, fair in complexion, who was last seen wearing a yellow baby dress.

The unfortunate incident occurred at the busy Cape Coast Bus Terminal area of the Asafo Market yesterday, September 20, 2026, around 5:00 a.m.

Narrating the heartbreaking incident to the media, the uncle of the missing child, Mr. Osei Kuffour, disclosed that the mother of the baby, Freda, is a popular food vendor at the market and had come to the market very early as usual to prepare food for sale.

He said because the baby was sleeping peacefully, the mother left him lying in front of their store, just a few metres away from where she was cooking, to enable her to work freely while keeping an eye on him.

According to him, they later noticed a strange woman who is not known in the market, sitting quietly at the corner of their store for some time, as if waiting for an opportunity.

"The mother is a food vendor and was preparing food around 5 a.m. in the morning. The child was sleeping and so she left him in front of the store just at the very place she was working. The suspect is a woman we don't know in the area, she was sitting close to the store. The mother had turned from the store to get something but returned to see both the baby and the woman gone," Mr. Kuffour recounted.

He added that immediately they realized the baby was missing, they raised an alarm and searched the entire market and its environs, but both the woman and the baby were nowhere to be found.

The family has since officially reported the matter to the Asafo Police Station and the police have commenced investigations and launched a manhunt for the suspect.

The distraught mother, Freda, who could not control her tears during the interview, says she has not been able to eat or sleep since the incident happened. She is passionately appealing to the general public, market women, drivers and all well-meaning Ghanaians to help her find her baby.

Some traders at Asafo Market who witnessed the incident described it as frightening and called for heightened security at the market, especially during early morning hours. They also cautioned mothers who bring their babies to the market to be extra vigilant, as baby theft cases appear to be on the rise.

Meanwhile, the family is pleading with anyone with credible information about the whereabouts of baby Akwasi Banahene or who may have seen a woman with a 5-month-old baby boy since yesterday, to report to the nearest police station or contact the family immediately for a handsome reward.

Sompaonline.com/Bawa Baidoo