The Times report in its lead story that tragedy hit Sunyani Police barracks yesterday morning when Rosemary Frimpong-Quartey, 25, hit the head of her five-year-old step-son with a hammer resulting in the death of the boy. Under a banner headline: "Murder in the barracks...Woman hammers step-son to death", the Times says the incident occurred in the absence of the boy's father, a police constable. The story says the reason for the woman's action is not yet known. According to the Times, not even the cries and passionate pleas for mercy by little Nathaniel Kojo Quartey, the deceased, a kindergarten Two pupil, could evoke any mercy from the woman. She continued with her "demolition exercise" on the boy until he became limp and dropped on the floor unconcious. The woman attempted to revive him by pouring water on him. The Times says it was not until a neighbour who had heard the boy's screams and rushed to the room, suggested that he should be taken to the hospital that Rosemary obliged. The paper says little Nathaniel died later at the hospital just adjacent to the Sunyani District Police barracks where the incident took place. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Victor Adetor in charge of the District Police Station, who disclosed this to newsmen at Sunyani yesterday, said Rosemary is in police custody assisting in investigations, says the Times. GRI

In another front page story, the Times reports on the arrest of eight persons with 228 wrappers of drugs. The paper says the Police Narcotics Unit last Saturday, arrested eight persons, including two female Nigerian students, for possessing 171 wrappers of cocaine and 57 wrappers of cannabis in three different swoops at Odorkor, Alajo and Avenor, all in Accra. The suspects are, Blessings Ngoziogwe, 22, and Anita Smart, 21, both computer students who were arrested at a house at Alajo. The rest are, Charles Kwamina Hagan, 32, Kwaku Buabeng, 27, "Machoman" Joseph Owren, 33, and Joseph Quarshie, 32. Musah Kwashie Dori, 31, and Ali Seidu, 64. A source close to the Police Public Relations Directorate which disclosed this to the Times in Accra yesterday, said the suspects have been remmanded in prison custody by an Accra court. GRI

In an inside page story, the Times says a retired teacher, Rudolph Asobayire and two others yesterday appeared before a Bolgatanga Circuit Court on a charge of aiding and abetting. They are alleged to have assaulted Mr. John Awuni, headteacher of Kologo Primary School in the Kassena-Nankana District. According to the Times their action resulted in teachers in the district laying down their tools in protest against the behaviour of parents and guardians towards teachers. Asobayire and Akasse, the first and third accused respectively, pleaded guilty with explanation while Ayamga, the second accused, pleaded not guilty. They were each granted 800,000 bail until November 19. GRI