Legon lecturer attacked by armed robbers narrates ordeal

The scene in the lecturer's bedroom after the robbers ransacked there

Some armed robbers attacked and robbed a University of Ghana, Legon lecturer, Dr. Benedicta Fosu-Mensah at gunpoint at her Ashongman residence on Sunday dawn. Numbering about four, the robbers made away with cash and other valuables.

The lecturer narrating her experience at the hands of the robbers to Joy FM and said the robbers beat her up, threatened to kill her and took the family’s vehicle.

Dr Fosu-Mensah is a lecturer with Institute of Environment and Sanitation Studies. The incident was said to have happened around 2am.

She heard some people jumping into her compound so she woke up to peep through the window, she said. 

"I saw four men all armed. The one I had a good view of is one with AK47 rifle and they were trying to find a way into the room," she said. She said at that time she started calling the police emergency number but there was no response and so tried calling her neighbour by which time they had started breaking through the burglar proof using cement blocks. 

"It took them about 20 minutes to break the burglar proof by then I tried calling my neighbours but none of them were picking up. At that time, I started shouting 'armed robbers oo help, armed robbers ooo help," Dr Fosu said. 

According to her, no one came around and the robbers succeeded in breaking the window, because the lock to that window was spoilt, so they made an easy job of it. 

They then went for more blocks to hit the security door to the hall and came through straight to my bedroom. 

"The first thing they demanded from me was my mobile phone and asked me for money and I gave them the only cash on me which is over GHc2000. They said the money was small and demanded more which I didn't have so they started slapping and beating me with the butt of the rifle," the disturbed lecturer said. 

With a knife, they ripped apart her bed sheets which they used to tie her mouth and hands behind her before going on a frantic search in the house for valuables including jewelry.  

Dr Fosu-Mensah who said she feared the worse quickly showed them her jewelry box but the robbers said that was not enough and they needed more. 

According to her they collected the keys to her Toyota Rav 4 vehicle which was parked in the compound and tried to move it away but couldn't start the vehicle.

They returned to the room to demand for more cash and whilst searching, they found their way to garage and saw a Toyota Fortuner 4x4 vehicle parked there. They demanded the keys to the vehicle but when she told them the vehicle belonged to a friend and the keys were not in the house, they gave her some more beatings.

"I told them it was for my friend and he had left the keys with his friend. They did not take this lightly and started beating me the more with one saying that they should just kill me," Dr Fosu-Mensah said. 

Fearing for her life after hearing them clock the gun, she told them about the spare key to the car which is in the house.

"So they took the car, my flatscreen TV, laptop, jewelry, mobile phone, camera and anything they could lay hands on including the stew I prepared for the Easter," she said. 

The matter has been reported to the police and investigations are ongoing. 

 

Credit: Myjoyonline