The Denu Circuit Court has convicted and sentenced Mustapha Usman, a 32-year-old Nigerien tricycle rider, to seven months' imprisonment for smuggling four Nigeriens into Ghana. Usman was found guilty on two counts: migrant smuggling and causing a false representation to be made. The court ordered that he be returned to the custody of the Aflao Police Station pending his transfer to the Ho Central Prison.
According to the prosecution, Usman was arrested by officers of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) Aflao Sector Command at the Aflao Border Beat Six Post. He had been engaged by four Nigeriens to facilitate their entry into Ghana, and he agreed to transport them from the Lagos Lorry Park in Lomé, Togo, to Kojoviakope near the Aflao Beat Six area at a fee of GHS200 per person.
The prosecution stated that upon arrival at Kojoviakope, Usman sought assistance from an accomplice, Remy, who is currently at large, to facilitate the migrants' unlawful entry into Ghana. The migrants were concealed in the bucket of Usman's tricycle and covered to make it appear empty in order to evade immigration profiling and checks.
The tricycle entered Ghana at about 1830 hours and was subsequently intercepted by immigration officers around Beat Seven. Usman approached the scene after the interception and identified himself as the owner of the tricycle, while the other rider used the confusion at the scene to abscond. The four migrants were taken to the border for questioning, where they confirmed that they had each contributed towards payment of the GH¢200 fee to Usman.
Usman was charged with migrant smuggling, contrary to Section 52A(2) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573), as amended by the Immigration (Amendment) Act, 2012 (Act 848). He was also charged with causing a false representation to be made, contrary to Section 52(1)(e) and Section 2(6) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573). The court sentenced Usman to three months' imprisonment on the count of migrant smuggling and four months on the count of causing a false representation to be made, with the sentences to run concurrently.
The four Nigerien migrants involved in the case have been repatriated. The court heard that Usman, who appeared before the court without legal representation, pleaded guilty to both charges after they were read and translated into Hausa with the assistance of the Ghana Police Service, Ketu Division.
The case highlights the efforts of the Ghana Immigration Service to combat migrant smuggling and ensure the security of the country's borders.
Key points
- The Denu Circuit Court sentenced Mustapha Usman to seven months in prison for facilitating the unlawful entry of four Nigeriens into Ghana.
- Usman was charged with migrant smuggling and causing a false representation to be made, and pleaded guilty to both charges.
- The four Nigerien migrants involved in the case have been repatriated.
