Group writes FG over illegal detention of 35 Nigerians in Ghana

Another controversy is brewing between Ghana and Nigeria as a group, the Concerned Citizens Rights (CCR) has petitioned the federal government, alleging the detention of 35 Nigerians in the West African country.

The group in a letter signed by its National President, Dr. Olusegun Adeola and addressed to the Chairman, Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NiDCM), Abike Dabiri -Erewa on June 26, said the detained Nigerians were languishing in the Ghanaian border town of Aflao, located between Ghana and Togo Republic.

In a copy of the letter made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti at the weekend, the group said that it was stunned at the level of maltreatment being allegedly meted to detained Nigerians along the Ghana-Togo border, with majority of them having no hope of being released in spite of their pathetic situation.

Apart from the Diaspora commission, the group also copied the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama and Ghana high commission and consulate-general in Nigeria.

Infuriated by this ugly scenario, especially coming at a time when the Nigerian embassy was partially destroyed in Ghana, the body pleaded with the NiDCM and the Ghana high commission and consulate-general in Abuja and Lagos to use their influence to intervene, and secure the immediate release of the hapless Nigerians.

“Available information corroborates the fact that about 35 Nigerians are currently detained, some for more than 45 days in unsanitary conditions in the arrival hall and other locations, which can better be described as concentration camps. They sleep on bare concrete floor without food and with just one toilet for all genders.

“To make matter worse, both men and women are cramped in one camp, sleeping together in flagrant violation of the detention code and convention.

We were reliably informed that huge sums of money are also being seized from traders among the detainees by the immigration officers under the facade of save keeping.

“While being held incommunicado, they were made to pay 300 cedis each under duress to the immigration officers. Their phones and ECOWAS passports were seized, without the opportunity of reaching out to family members, who may not even know their current whereabouts and situation.

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“During investigation, we gathered that when some of the detainees complained after more than 30 days in detention, they were beaten, tortured and told they would die in detention.

They were told their offence was entering Ghana illegally, even when there is unfettered movement across borders as contained in the ECOWAS charter that binds member states.

“These are people (detainees) who have always seen Ghana as a sister country to Nigeria and Nigerians and who have previously been coming in and out of Ghana on business trips, believing they are covered under the ECOWAS protocol agreements,” the group’s letter stated.

The organization further posited that no matter the magnitude of the offences or crimes committed by the detained Nigerians, it was wrong for them to be so treated in such a crude, brutish, inhumane manner by making them sleep on concrete floors for weeks and months without food.

It added: “They (detainees) daily buy their own food and some are running out of money. Their treatment has nothing to do with COVID-19 because they have being tested and found negative for weeks and still kept together without social distancing and face masks.

“Our concern is that the victims are gradually sliding into depression in their frustrated conditions and except prompt action is taken, they may become suicidal.

“They crossed two francophone countries without horror and only to be so treated in their sister English speaking country. We are sure that the Ghanaian government and the immigration authorities would not have approved this type of inhuman treatments being meted to fellow ECOWAS nationals.”

CCR said it decided to petition the federal government and the Ghanaian high commission to blow the lid open on the detention camp, so that investigations and appropriate actions can be taken.