Ghanaian doctor, others arrested for attempting to enter the country illegally

The Ghana Immigration Service on Tuesday morning arrested 21 persons who attempted entering the country illegally through the Elubo border.

The group which included 9 Beninois,3 Nigerians, 3 Ivorians and a Malian have all been sent back to Ivory Coast after their arrest.

However, 5 Ghanaians who were part of the group have been detained and sent to mandatory quarantine.

This revelation was made by the Deputy Comptroller of Immigration (DCGI) in-charge of Command Post and Operations, Laud Kwesi Affrifah.

He further revealed that a Ghanaian doctor was part of five people arrested at the Sogakope inland border post.

“They all hired vehicles from the Aflao border and were moving to Accra. The drivers in the vehicles have also been arrested and they are all being sent to mandatory quarantine,” the Deputy Comptroller of Immigration said, adding that they will also be prosecuted later.

He said the doctor who arrived at Lome from USA, should have known better than to break the rules in this dangerous period.

He also cautioned indigenes of border communities to corporate with the security agencies by reporting persons who enter the country illegally instead of aiding them.

“We are not in normal times so the manner they’ve been operating and conspiring to smuggle people in and out of the country should cease. The border communities form a critical part of our border management strategy and we expect them at this time to corporate with the security agencies.

They should rather inform us of illegal entries rather than aiding them,” he noted.

He reminded them that they will be affected if the pandemic hits the country hard.

DCGI Affrifah said some transporters at the border communities have already been arrested for attempting to smuggle people into the country and they will soon be prosecuted for the offence.

“12 okada drivers were arrested yesterday for attempting to smuggle persons across the border. They have been arrested and we’re discussing with the police how to prosecute them possibly,” he stated.



Other arrests

7 Nigerians were arrested and returned to Togo after making an illegal entry into the country on Monday 23rd March 2020.

The seven which included three males and four females were arrested at the Akanu border. Mr Affrifah added that an American who arrived at the Lome airport on 20th March 2020 was also arrested at the Aflao border on the 22nd when he tried to enter Ghana.

“He was referred to the health officials, tested and for now proved negative but he’s under arrest and detention and is being sent to mandatory quarantine,” he noted.



He said further actions will be taken against the American after consultations with the legal authorities.

He said a close eye is being kept on the various entry points along Ghana's border to Togo because “Ethiopia airlines continue to fly to Lome… that is where we are seeing the tendency of persons moving through.”

Also, some Nigeriens and Burkinabes who tried travelling out of the country through the Northern border on buses have been stopped.

DCGI Affrifah further cautioned persons who may want to enter Ghana that they face arrest, detention, mandatory quarantine and prosecution because the country’s borders are closed.