Drama and mayhem was the order of the day last Friday in Sabon Zongo, a suburb of Accra following rumours that a well known married woman had been caught redhanded in a romantic posture with another woman.
As people got ready to vote in the Ghana general elections the next day, the screams and shouts that suddenly broke the silence of the night around the Hammatan Avenue part of town could have been easily taken for something related to the much anticipated polls.
But neighbours rushed to the scene only to meet a sizable crowd pounding one Mariam Inusah like a thief. Upon enquiry, the attackers revealed that the 36 year old mother of three had just been sighted fondling and kissing a lady friend in the bathroom of their compound house.
Eyewitnesses claimed that though the said Mariam Inusah has been happily married for over ten years, she was widely suspected of being a lesbian since a 20 year old SHS graduate in the house accused her of barging into the bathroom and trying to fondle her while she was bathing some few years ago.
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Lesbianism is sternly abhorred in their Muslim dominated community, hence Mariam expressed surprise and vehemently denied any such intents. Accordingly, she defended herself that she thought she heard the young woman say her bathing water had finished with soap in her eyes so she went in to take the bucket to fetch more water for her. She was offering help.
The matter was left to rest but suspicious neighbours kept vigilance on her movement as she was always hosting female friends especially when her husband and children had gone to work or school. Last Friday was an occasion where another friend visited from midday and stayed till late, with many not taking notice because of the elections frenzy all over town.
But the silence of the night was broken by large screams of disgust and abomination by a neighbour who said she saw Madam Inusah and her friend busily kissing, fondling each other and moaning as she spied on them when she saw the two enter the compound house bathroom to bath that evening.
At the time, her husband of 13 years, Nuhu Osmanu and their four children had all returned home and were equally shocked by the accusations as neighbours stormed the house and started pummelling the two women. Her husband who refused to believe the accusations, managed to whisk his wife from the scene and they had to go spend the night at a hotel away from the community.
Afraid to return to what was still a boiling neighbourhood even on elections day, Mariam Inusah, accompanied by her husband went to the Korle Bu Police station first thing the next morning to report the incident and demand Police investigation and protection to go and also vote.
"(Mariam Inusah) reported that yesterday 06/12/24 the people of Sabon Zongo attacked and subjected her to severe beatings that she was caught with her lesbian partner in the presence of witnesses, as such wanted police action," said the official Police statement on the issue.