Crime has no nationality so stop stereotyping Nigerians - Obiri Boahen

Private legal practitioner, lawyer Obiri Boahen, has cautioned the media against the branding of Nigerians as criminals.

In his view, crime has no colour or nationality hence the need for the media to be circumspect in the way they report criminal activities involving Nigerians and other nationals.

He underscored the need for the laws of Ghana to be enforced when criminals are arrested no matter their nationality.

‘’We should desist from tagging Nigerians as criminals. When criminals are arrested, they must be dealt with in accordance with due process, rather than tagging every Nigerian as a criminal.’’

He believes the way the media and some commentators have run commentaries on the situation, was unfair and could affect our relationship with our neighbouring country.

Some Ghanaians on various social media platforms have expressed anger at the current trend of kidnappings involving Nigerian suspects.

But lawyer Boahen in an interview with Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm said, the way Nigerians have been labelled, as criminals due to the activities of some Nigerians, was not the best hence the need for Ghanaians and the media especially to desist from doing that.

Meanwhile, Parliament has condemned media reports which singled out Nigerians as masterminds of Kidnapping in Ghana

In a Press Briefing on Tuesday, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament Frank Annoh-Dompreh said the development is unfortunate and could affect the relationship between the two countries.

“We want to appeal to the generality of this country, particularly the youth and the media, that we should all be measured in terms of our pronouncement,” chairman of the committee,’’ he said.