HOUSEWIFE ARRESTED FOR IMPERSONATION (BACK PAGE)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bawku

A 42-YEAR-OLD housewife who allegedly presented herself as the wife of her husband’s elder brother and tried to collect social security claims on behalf of two minors has been arrested by the police in Bawku.
Madam Adisa Sumaila had gone to the Bawku Office of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to claim GH¢735.32 as death and survivor’s benefit on behalf of the children of one Amalbo Dasmani, now deceased, who had contributed to the scheme.
According to the Bawku branch manager of SSNIT, Mr Abudu Abdulai, Madam Adisa Sumaila went to the SSNIT office and introduced herself as Barikisu Dasmani, the wife of the deceased, formerly of the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital, and requested for death and survivor’s benefit on behalf of their children, a set of twins.
Mr Abdulai said after processing all relevant documents he asked Madam Sumaila to produce the photographs of the children as a proof of the identity of the children, but she could not do so and promised to bring them the following day.
The branch manager said after waiting for two weeks without the woman showing up, he decided to follow up to the village, Zawse, a suburb of Bawku, to find out what the problem was.
He said that upon reaching Zawse, he asked of Madam Barikisu and was shown a house.
“After several probing, I chanced upon the real mother of the children who produced the National Health Insurance cards of the children. Sadly, however, she knew nothing about the existence of such benefits,” Mr Abdulai stated.
Mr Abdulai said he finally located the house of Madam Sumaila, which was a few metres away, and invited her to come for the money even if she had not got the pictures.
He said in the SSNIT office, the two women met and when Madam Sumaila was asked whether she knew Barikisu, she responded in the negative.
Sensing a case of impersonation, the manager said he reported the case to the police to conduct further investigations and while at the police station, Madam Sumaila confessed impersonating.
Meanwhile the benefits have since been paid to the real mother of the children.