300 Nigerians in Ghanaian prisons

Three hundred Nigerians are currently serving various jail terms in Ghanaian prisons, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Musiliu Obanikoro, has announced.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Accra that the Nigerians were serving jail terms for offences ranging from kidnapping, drug peddling, human trafficking, internet scam and armed robbery.

Obanikoro said the activities of the ``unscrupulous Nigerians'' were causing some embarrassment to the federal government, noting, however, that the Nigerian High Commission was working hard to stamp out the perpetration of advance fee fraud, popularly known as ``419'' by some Nigerians in Ghana.

``We have indeed, reduced the activities of some Nigerians in such crime, because they have been giving the federal government serious concern,'' he said. Obanikoro said the High Commission was currently discussing with the Ghanaian Government, the possibility of facilitating the release of the prisoners to the Nigerian government, for them to serve out their terms in Nigeria.

The High Commission, he added, had also stepped up efforts to educate Nigerians living in Ghana, on the need to abide by the laws of their host country. He noted with regret that thousands of such Nigerians had not deemed it fit to register with the High Commission.

The envoy said the High Commission had launched the re-branding campaign in Ghana, with a view to show-casing the positive aspects of Nigeria, and getting people in Ghana and other neighbouring countries to appreciate the country's enormous potential.

He declared: ``We have fully branded the High Commission, and boosted the morale of Nigerians, to enhance efficient service delivery, in constrast to the situation on ground, before I assumed office about two years ago.

``Issues affecting Nigerians and those on bilateral relations are now treated promptly by the High Commission, unlike before, when many Nigerians complained that they were not fairly treated by their host country.''

Obanikoro said some 10,000 Nigerians were currently studying in institutions of higher learning in Ghana, and described the bilateral relations between the two countries, as very good and yielding positive results.

He said the federal government was creating a platform to strengthen its bilateral relations with Ghana and other West African countries, for the benefit of Nigerians.