A five-month-old baby boy, Akwasi Banahene, was allegedly taken by an unknown woman at the Cape Coast Bus Terminal in Kumasi's Asafo Market. The incident occurred on Saturday, 19 September 2026, at around 5 a.m. while the baby's mother, a food vendor, briefly turned away to prepare food. The baby was left sleeping in front of his mother's food stall.
According to the baby's uncle, Osei Kuffour, the mother had positioned her sleeping son right at her workplace before briefly turning away to fetch something. When she returned, both the baby and a woman who had been sitting quietly close to the store were nowhere to be found. The woman was not known to anyone in the area and had simply been sitting near the stall before she vanished with the child.
The suspect has been described as a woman believed to be between 37 and 40 years old. Beyond that rough description, her identity remains unknown, and as of the time of reporting, no arrest had been made in connection with the incident. The family has formally reported the matter to the police and is appealing to members of the public for any information that could lead to the child's whereabouts.
Anyone with information about the missing baby or the woman suspected of taking him has been urged to contact the nearest police station. The alleged abduction has renewed public concern in Ghana about the safety of children left unattended, even briefly, at crowded markets and transport terminals.
Asafo Market and its adjoining bus terminal are among the busiest commercial hubs in Kumasi, drawing large numbers of traders, travellers and vehicles daily — conditions that can make it difficult to keep constant watch over young children, especially for vendors who must also attend to their businesses.
For many Ghanaian families who rely on market stalls for their livelihood, incidents like this raise uncomfortable questions about how to balance earning a living with keeping children safe in public spaces that are not always monitored by security personnel. The sources do not indicate whether police have opened a formal investigation timeline or issued a suspect description to the wider public.
As it stands, the case remains open, with the family continuing to rely on public tips as they wait for word on baby Akwasi Banahene's whereabouts. The incident has sparked a search effort, with the police and family members working together to locate the missing child.
Key points
- A five-month-old baby boy was allegedly snatched by an unknown woman at Kumasi's Asafo Market while his mother briefly stepped away from her food stall.
- The suspect has been described as a woman believed to be between 37 and 40 years old, but her identity remains unknown.
- The alleged abduction has renewed public concern in Ghana about the safety of children left unattended at crowded markets and transport terminals.
