<<Print>>

Officers of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) at the Inland Immigration Checkpoint at Sogakope have arrested three Nigerians who entered Ghana illegally on May 22.

The three, two men and a woman, are currently being held at an isolation facility in Aflao.

A fourth person, also a Nigerian, has been arrested and is being held for trying to offer a bribe of $5,000 on behalf of his sister, to allow her remain in Ghana after her arrest for illegal entry.

Monetary offer

Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Commander of the Sogakope Inland Immigration Checkpoint, Chief Superintendent of Immigration (CSI) Shadrach Asangeokwa, said the three Nigerians, identified as Emmanuel Christopher, Chukuma Onyiauka and Sylvia Jamaho, with the assistance of some Togolese, entered the country through an unidentified unapproved route at the eastern frontier but were found and stopped at the Sogakope Inland Immigration Checkpoint.

CSI Asangeokwa said as the three persons arrested were being processed to be handed over to the Aflao Sector Command for their repatriation, a man, identified as David Jamaho, claiming to be the brother of the woman arrested, showed up and tried to get her released.

He said Mr Jamaho tried to negotiate the release of his sister and allegedly offered the officers an amount of $5,000. The other two Nigerians also allegedly offered GH¢500 for their release as well, but the officers declined the offers.

The commander said the three persons were escorted back to the Aflao Sector Command of the GIS where they were screened and are currently under quarantine.

He explained that they were being held under the directive for all travellers arriving in the country to be held under a 14-day mandatory quarantine during which they would be tested to confirm their COVID-19 status.

Mr Jamaho, on the other hand, remains in the custody of the Sogakope District Immigration Command, and would be processed for court.

Borders remain closed

Mr Asangeokwa reminded all persons that the borders remained closed and people who tried to enter the country illegally risked being arrested, put under quarantine after which they would be prosecuted.

He stressed that the action was part of the government’s intervention to stop the further importation of COVID-19 into the country.

He further cautioned people living in the border communities who were assisting the illegal immigrants to enter to desist from the act as that put them, the community and the nation at risk.