The Denu Circuit Court has sentenced Mustapha Usman, a 32-year-old Nigerien tricycle rider, to seven months’ imprisonment for facilitating the unlawful entry of four Nigeriens into Ghana. Usman was found guilty of 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, a resident of Togo, 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 agreed to pay him GH¢200 each to transport them from the Lagos Lorry Park in Lomé, Togo, to Kojoviakope near the Aflao Beat Six area.
The prosecution stated that upon arrival at Kojoviakope, Usman contacted an accomplice, Remy, who is currently at large, to help facilitate the migrants’ unlawful entry into Ghana. The four migrants were concealed in the bucket of Usman’s tricycle and covered to make it appear empty and evade immigration checks. Remy arranged for another tricycle rider to transport the loaded tricycle into Ghana while he and Usman monitored the operation from a distance.
The tricycle crossed into Ghana at about 6:30 p.m. and was later 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 fled. The four migrants were taken to the border for questioning and told investigators that they had each contributed towards the GH¢200 payment made 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 him to three months’ imprisonment for migrant smuggling and four months for causing a false representation to be made, with the sentences to run concurrently.
The four Nigerien migrants involved in the case have since been repatriated. Usman appeared before the court without legal representation and pleaded guilty to both charges after they were read and translated into Hausa with the assistance of the Ghana Police Service, Ketu Division. He was subsequently convicted on both counts.
The case highlights the efforts of the Ghana Immigration Service to combat migrant smuggling and ensure the security of the country’s borders. The sentence serves as a deterrent to others who may be tempted to engage in similar activities.
Key points
- The tricycle rider was sentenced to seven months in prison for facilitating the unlawful entry of four Nigeriens into Ghana.
- The four Nigerien migrants involved in the case have since been repatriated.
- The case highlights the efforts of the Ghana Immigration Service to combat migrant smuggling.
