By Grace Zigah
A 29-year-old tricycle rider, identified as Naah Mashood, has been sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment with hard labour after being convicted of defiling a three-year-old girl at Tiegber in the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region.
The sentence was handed down by the Wa High Court on October 30, 2026, following a full trial in which the accused was found guilty of the offence of defilement.
According to a press release issued by the Upper West Regional Police Command on November 2, 2026, the convict had been engaged by the victim’s parents to provide transportation for the child to and from school.
However, the police said he abused the trust placed in him by the family and allegedly lured the three-year-old girl to an isolated location on February 23, 2026, where he sexually assaulted her inside his tricycle, locally known as a ‘Cambuu’.
The incident came to the attention of the police following a complaint lodged by the child’s mother, prompting officers from the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Upper West Regional Police Command to arrest the suspect on February 24, 2026.
Following his arrest, investigators conducted inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident before arraigning him before the Wa District Magistrate Court.
The case subsequently proceeded to the Wa High Court, where the accused stood trial. After the full trial, the court found him guilty of defilement and sentenced him to 14 years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
The Upper West Regional Police Command, in the statement signed by the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis Yiriboare, commended the officers who handled the investigation and prosecution, as well as members of the public whose contributions helped bring the case to a successful conclusion.
