… As two nabbed for alleged kidnapping, trafficking
Officials of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region have arrested 25 Nigerians for allegedly entering the country through illegal routes.
The immigrants, which included 24 males and one female and aged between 19 and 26 years, failed to give any reason for their illegal entry.
Chief Superintendent Shradrach Azangweo, the District Commander of GIS, told the Ghana News Agency that the illegal immigrants had been moved to the Aflao Command to assist in investigations.
“They have breached our immigration laws and we would send them back to Aflao to assist us in investigations on how they entered the country,” he said.
He said in line with the COVID-19 protocols, the immigrants were screened to determine their COVID-19 status and were likely to be referred to Port Health at Aflao.
He said he expected the 25 immigrants to be repatriated soon.
Mr Azangweo warned all drivers and “Okada” riders to desist from assisting foreigners to enter the country through illegal means to ensure that the reasons for the closure of the borders were achieved.
“We will advise the general public and drivers to support in this fight since the COVID-19 numbers keep increasing; just report any foreigner to the Immigration officers,” he said. He warned that anyone who facilitated the entry into the country of a foreigner would be prosecuted.
Similarly, the Central Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHT) of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has arrested two Nigerians at Gomoa Pomadze on suspicion of kidnapping and human trafficking.
According to police, the suspects, Paul Okafor and Duru Favour, are said to be engaged in kidnapping and trafficking of young Nigerians to perpetrate cyber-crime activities in the country.
Briefing the Ghana News Agency (GNA), DSP Irene Oppong, Regional Police Public Relations Officer and Head of the AHTU, said 39 victims, all Nigerians in their twenties, were rescued in the process.
She said on Sunday, July 12, at about 1100 hours, the Winneba District Police Command, acting on information, dispatched a Police Patrol team to Gomoa Pomadze, where they met a 21-year old Nigerian, Charles Ikorohk in the company of three Ghanaians. She said Ikorohk told the Police team that he arrived in the country from Nigeria on Wednesday, January 22, to visit a friend but could not trace him.
He said he got stranded in Accra where he met one Uzo at the Kwame Nkrumah interchange area, who later introduced him to one Arisuezo, also a Nigerian.
She said Arisuezo brought Ikorohk to Winneba and kept him in a walled house together with other young men from Nigerian.
According to DSP Oppong, Arisuezo prevented his captives from leaving the compound and subjected them to all forms of inhuman treatment and also engaged them in cyber-crime activities.
She said Charles managed to escape on Sunday, July 12 about 0800 hours when he was tasked to weed the compound of the house while their supervisors went out with one of the victims to a Mobile money vendor to withdraw some cash fraudulently received.
She said the police, after receiving a tip-off, quickly went to the house and rescued the 39 Nigerians and arrested the suspects.
Thirty-six laptops were also retrieved from the house. DSP Oppong said the owner of the house was arrested and given a police enquiry bail while investigations were ongoing to arrest Michael Arisuezo and his other accomplices.
