Who at BNI ordered my wife’s arrest? Asks dead woman’s husband

The husband of the 29-year-old woman who collapsed at the premises of the Bureau of National Investigations, (BNI) on Thursday and died soon afterwards is asking to know who at the BNI instructed his wife’s arrest. Godson Atitsogbui suspects that her late wife, who was five months pregnant, may have died as a result of someone’s power-play. Celestine Tsekuma, 29, had arrived at the BNI offices in the company of her husband following an “invitation” by two BNI operatives “to assist in investigations.” She died before questioning. Narrating how his wife passed away to Joy FM’s Super morning Show host Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah on Monday, Godson said they had followed two BNI officials who visited their home to invite the wife to assist in investigations. That invitation, was the last in a series of invitations to security ‘posts’ following an alleged missing money. Godson recalled that somewhere last year, one Sela, a cousin of the now deceased wife informed Celestine that she had registered some money she was expecting through Western Union Money Transfer in her (Celestine's) name. According to Godson, even though the wife protested her cousin’s behaviour for not discussing the issue prior to using her name, she eventually accompanied her to Mamprobi in Accra to withdraw the money. Upon arrival and Sela's presentation of documents however, they were told someone had just collected the money. They left, but some months later, Sela visited her in the company of two men who claimed to be “Castle security” officers, inviting her again to the Mamprobi Western Union outlet, where officials there explained that if the sender of the money had not reported any fraud, they could not investigate any case. He said after some chit-chatting between Sela and the “Castle security” men, they left, whereupon he and the wife were dropped at the Tema Station lorry park to continue their journey home. Godson said they later got another ‘invitation’ to report at the Kotobabi police station or be arrested and handcuffed. When they followed up to the police station, the same cousin, Sela, in the company of alleged investigators, told them that they had arrested the culprit who took the money and that they (Celestine and Godson) were free to go. However, in the latest incident, Godson said he was home with the pregnant wife on Thursday when Sela’s father came with two BNI operatives to the house to ‘invite’ her to the BNI, and because the wife was having her bath, they waited for her to finish up. Sela’s father left separately, and the couple had to join the BNI operatives’ car, whereupon arrival, they were ushered into a visitor’s waiting room. Godson said while there, Sela and her father also arrived. Sela greeted them but they ignored her, and moments later the wife stepped out of the room only to be called in by a BNI officer that all was not well with his wife. He said when he saw the wife, she reported dizziness, however she was growing weak, and the BNI officer suggested they should take her to a clinic in the facility, where she was given a drip. She could no longer walk and was virtually collapsing, and those who offered her first aid suggested that she should be taken to the 37 Military Hospital. At this time, Godson said his wife was foaming at the mouth and nostrils but he was assured that all would be well. Upon arrival at the 37 Military Hospital, about seven medics, including the one from the BNI, attended to Celestine, however the BNI doctor soon emerged to tell him that the wife had passed away and that he needed to be strong. Asked if anybody did anything to the wife while at the BNI offices, Godson said no one did anything to her and that he was with her throughout the period except that moment when she stepped out and his attention was drawn to her predicament. The body has since been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary, but Godson says after all the harassment they have gone through leading to his wife’s death, he wants to know exactly who at the BNI ordered his men to come for his wife and for what specific reason. Story by Isaac Yeboah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana