Information reaching DAILY GUIDE indicates that the naked woman suspected to be a witch, who escaped lynching in Accra on Thursday, is after all not a witch.
She has been identified as Mrs Barbara Owusu from Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
Margerette Abebrese, a retired banker and close pal of the woman believed to be mentally challenged, told DAILY GUIDE in a telephone conversion that the victim returned from Toronto, Canada, with her husband and three children for the funeral of her (Barbara’s) mother.
She said that it was during the period of the mother’s funeral that she became mentally ill and was receiving treatment at the Ankaful Mental Hospital in the Central Region.
The banker continued that the rest of the family had to leave her at the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital and travel back to Canada as the treatment was taking a longer time.
Ms Abebrese explained that she got to know Barbara following her (Abebrese’s) frequent visits to her (Barbara’s) shop at Rawlings Park in Accra.
She added that Barbara was a pleasant person among the other shop owners at the Rawlings Park area because of her rich sense of humour.
Ms Abebrese further told DAILY GUIDE that she burst into tears yesterday morning when she saw naked images of Barbara Owusu in the newspapers and other media sources.
She described Barbara as a responsible woman and has personal properties at Abuakwa in the Ashanti Region.
She also confirmed that what the people in Madina thought to be a male sex organ are piles which had been with her in the days she used to visit her shop.
Ms Abebrese indicated that Barbara, when offered a chair during the visit, would prefer to stand even for long periods as she said “it hurts to sit.”
DAILY GUIDE yesterday published a story on the woman whom people suspected to be a witch – an occurrence which attracted thousands of people at Maye Hot and the Madina Police Station areas. Everybody wanted to catch a glimpse of her, while others wanted an opportunity to lynch her.
Two policemen were seen trying to protect the woman from being lynched by the large crowd, while they (police) waited for the arrival of the patrol team to pick her away.
Barbara Owusu has since been handed over to the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital by the Madina Divisional Command.
The Commander, Chief Supt Nantomah Yakubu Aggrey, has appealed to her immediate relatives to contact the station for further information.
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