Woman conceals Indian hemp in "banku" for suspect

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
Thursday, July 18, 2013

An attempt by a-29-year old nursing mother to smuggle quantities of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp to an accused person being tried for alleged narcotic offence was yesterday afternoon foiled by security personnel on duty at the Cocoa Affairs Courts in Accra.

Esther Adokor, who had strapped her six-month old baby at her back, had concealed the dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, inside five of 10 balls of banku, which she attempted to deliver to the accused person who was being held in a holding cell at the Cocoa Affairs Courts.


According to the police officers on duty at the cells, the woman presented the banku with Okro soup and non-alcoholic paper wine at the gate for onward delivery to the accused person whose name was only given as Agbey.

Physical examination of the banku by the officers revealed the five oval egg-sized substances wrapped in a plain polyethene which were concealed inside five of the banku balls.

She was accordingly arrested by the officers who told journalists she would be taken to the Police CID Headquarters for interrogation and charge.

Meanwhile, Adokor has denied ownership of the banku and the substances contained therein, claiming it was given to her by a woman  she met at the Tema Station in Accra to be delivered to one Agbey at the court for GH¢ 50 reward.

She broke down in tears and denied knowing the said Agbey who also denied knowing Adokor.

She told journalists she was going to see her father, one Jacob Adokor at the Central Business District when the stranger; a fair woman with two tribal marks on her face approached her at the entrance of the Tema Station.

Adokor claimed after exchanging pleasantries, the stranger asked her whether she knew Cocoa Affairs Court to which she answered positively adding that the woman then promised to give her GH¢ 50 if she delivered the food, to her brother at the court for her.

She said because she was in need of money to cater for her sick baby, she agreed to deliver the food adding that the stranger gave her GH¢5 and asked her to deliver the food and return for the GH¢ 50.