A 29-year-old tricycle rider has been sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment with hard labour by the Wa High Court for defiling a three-year-old girl at Tiegber in the Wa Municipality.

The convict, Naah Mashood, was sentenced by the court, presided over by Justice Osei-Wusu, on Friday, October 30, 2026.

The Upper West Regional Police Command announced the conviction in a statement issued by its Public Affairs Unit on Monday, November 2, 2026.

According to the police, the girl’s parent had engaged Mashood to pick her up from school and take her home on his tricycle, locally known as a “Cambuu”.

On February 23, 2026, Mashood allegedly lured the girl to an isolated location and defiled her inside the tricycle.

The girl’s mother reported the incident to the police, leading to Mashood’s arrest the following day by officers of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Upper West Regional Police Command.

The police said investigations led to Mashood being arraigned before the Wa District Magistrate Court, after which the case proceeded to the High Court for trial. He was subsequently found guilty.

The Regional Police Command commended the officers who investigated and prosecuted the case, as well as others who assisted in bringing it to court.

It urged parents and guardians to keep a close watch on their children and called on members of the public to report suspected cases of child abuse and defilement to the nearest police station or DOVVSU office.

The Command said it would continue to protect children and bring perpetrators of sexual offences to justice.

The statement was signed by the Upper West Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis Yiriboare.