Two domestic workers in an upscale East Legon neighborhood have been arrested on suspicion of administering sleep-inducing medication to two-year-old twin boys in their care, according to Ghanaian police officials.
The suspects, Francisca Boakye, 30, a student nurse from Konongo in the Ashanti Region, and Harriet Ansah, 31, from Jasikan in the Volta Region, allegedly gave the toddlers a drug believed to be Dynewell—a sedative often used for cough and cold symptoms—without the consent of their employer. Authorities say the substance was used to keep the children asleep for extended periods while the nannies performed other household chores.
The case came to light in September, after the children’s mother, a 41-year-old businesswoman, observed persistent drowsiness and unusual behavior in her sons. She filed a complaint with the Airport Divisional Police, prompting an investigation.
“A search of the suspects’ living quarters yielded two used and four unused trays of the substance in question, all in sachet form,” said Superintendent Juliana Obeng, Director of Public Affairs for the Accra Regional Police Command, during a media briefing. “Further interrogation revealed a pattern of psychological and physical abuse.”
According to police, the two nannies also admitted to subjecting the boys to verbal insults—including calling them “chimpanzee”—and at times applied heat to their hands as a form of punishment. The alleged abuse is said to have taken place over an eight-month period.
Both women have been formally charged and remanded by the court, with a next hearing scheduled for Oct. 20. Authorities have not disclosed the specific charges but indicated they involve multiple counts related to child endangerment and unauthorized use of pharmaceutical substances.
Superintendent Obeng urged parents to remain vigilant in their oversight of domestic staff. “These acts are not only criminal but inhumane,” she said. “The safety and welfare of children must be non-negotiable.”
Child protection advocates have called for stricter regulatory frameworks around domestic employment and increased public education on identifying early signs of abuse.
