Five Nigerians jailed for illegal stay in Ghana

Accra (Greater Accra), 28^th October 99

Five Nigerians, who are in Ghana without valid documents, were on Wednesday, each sentenced to six months' imprisonment in hard labour by a circuit tribunal in Accra.

The tribunal, chaired by Mr. Charles Nyewolema, ordered their repatriation after serving the sentence.

Godson Okereke, Dominic Ughe, Christopher Ireduru, Gabriel Ugo and Ikechukwu Bartholomew, all unemployed, pleaded guilty to being in Ghana illegally.

They told the court they are traders who arrived in Ghana with ECOWAS permit of a 90-day duration but the time elapsed while they were still collecting their monies for goods sold to some traders.

The tribunal said it did not accept their explanation because it had found that they were not in gainful employment neither did they have any permanent abode.

The prosecution said, sometime this month, Police had information from some Abelenkpe residents in Accra that there were some Nigerians in the area whose presence was suspicious and a "threat to security".

The Police in a swoop arrested the accused, who after investigations, found that apart from entering the country illegally, they were also not in any gainful employment.

GRi