Two women drugged and robbed

Two female traders who were travelling from Elubo to Accra were allegedly drugged and robbed by a fellow passenger. The driver of the vehicle, Stephen Yeboah, said he found the women unconscious on arrival at the Kaneshie lorry station, his final destination.

One of them is believed to be an Ivorian, and is said to have been offered a sachet of water by the stranger passenger.

She was taken to the Korle-Bu Polyclinic unconscious but was later revived, according to hospital sources.

The other trader, who gave her name as Ruth Amoako who was also at the hospital, said she declined to take the water.

"However, I felt heavy and unable to talk after the man had placed a hat on a seat close to mine," she told the Times at her hospital bed.

Narrating their ordeal, Ms Amoako said the suspected robber took away GH¢560 and a mobile phone from her and large amount of money from the other woman.

She said she witnessed the theft but she felt hypnotized and could not utter a word.

According to Ms Amoako the man joined the vehicle at Elubo and he placed his hat on the seat next to hers and existed for a while.

Moments later, the man came back with two sachets of water and offered them to the two women.

Ms Amoako said she declined the offer but her colleague accepted it and drank it.

She said she noticed that her colleague fell into a deep sleep whilst she became heavy and felt hypnotised.

She said even in that state she saw the man pick a Bible she was carrying and removed the money from it.

At Mankessim she said the man alighted from the vehicle and they continued their journey to Accra.

Ms Amoako said when the vehicle got to Kaneshie at about 8 pm and everyone had come out of the vehicle the two of them could not come out.

The driver, Mr Yeboah told the Times that on realising that the two women could not do anything by themselves, he consulted his colleagues who advised him to take them to the hospital.

They refused to give him any further assistance because they said he was not registered at the station.

He said he reported at the Kaneshie Police Station where they were given medical forms to go to the hospital. They first went to the Cocoa Clinic at Kaneshie, but were referred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and then to the Korle-Bu Polyclinic where the two women were finally admitted.

Dr. Nana Boakye-Yiadom III, a senior Medical Officer at the Department of Surgery, told the Times yesterday that the two women were initially put on "drip" before being given other medications. He said physical examination proved that there were toxic materials in their system, an indication that they were chloroformed.

He said that the unconscious women regained consciousness at 11 am on Tuesday and both of them have since been discharged.

Dr Boakye-Yiadom advised the public about what they eat or drink, particularly, what is offered by strangers.