Muntaka flags security breach after deported Nigerians found with Ghanaian passports

Minister of the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has expressed concern over the involvement of some Ghanaians in aiding undocumented foreigners to enter the country through unapproved routes and register on Ghana’s national database.

Speaking during a two-day working visit to the Volta Region on Monday, June 1, 2026, Muntaka described the trend as a growing security threat, warning that the intentions of foreigners entering the country remained unknown.

“The motive of the foreigners who are crossing into Ghana illegally is unknown, and this is cause for concern, especially in an era of terrorism in the sub-region,” he said during meetings with religious and traditional leaders in Ho.

He made the remarks after paying a courtesy call on Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, and later engaging chiefs at the Asogli Palace in Ho-Bankoe.

According to a graphic.com.gh report on June 2, 2026, Muntaka said illegal migration and identity fraud were damaging Ghana’s international image, citing a recent case in which Saudi Arabia deported three Nigerians who allegedly possessed Ghanaian passports upon arrival in Abuja.

107 foreigners engaged in galamsey, fraud deported – Muntaka

He also raised concerns about human trafficking, saying traffickers lured foreigners into Ghana and exploited them for prostitution and other criminal activities.

Providing figures to underscore the issue, Muntaka disclosed that out of about 14,000 inmates in Ghana’s prisons, roughly 1,100 were foreigners, with Nigerians making up 75 percent of that number.

He further pointed to narcotics abuse, claiming the Volta Region had become notorious for marijuana cultivation, which he said undermined the region’s image.

At the meeting, religious and traditional leaders pledged support for government efforts to maintain peace and security, with the Asogli traditional leadership promising to assist security agencies with intelligence on criminal activities.

Meanwhile, James Gunu stressed that peace and security remained essential to the region’s ambitions of becoming a tourism and development hub.

MRA/VPO

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