Ghana deports 16 Nigerians, accuses them of cybercrimes

Sixteen Nigerians have been deported by Ghana over their alleged involvement in cybercrimes in that country.

The Controller of the Seme Command, Nigeria Immigration Service, Dr Chukwu Emeka, at a conference on Friday said most of the deportees left Nigeria through illegal routes.

He added that some of the deportees were into the criminal activities in order to get rich.

The controller said the young Nigerians were deceived or intentionally went out of the country in search of greener pastures.

“Ghana’s Financial and Intelligence Agency accused them of cybercrimes but from our preliminary investigation, we discovered that some of them were lured into these criminal activities due to the get-rich syndrome our youths are developing.

“Some of them are victims in the sense that they were deceived that they can make money if they leave Nigeria. Unfortunately, they don’t get the actual thing they bargained for in Ghana.

“Further investigation also showed that most of them left the country through illegal routes or through the sea to other West African countries.

“We also discovered that most of them travelled without genuine travel documents, so when they got to Ghana they became prey to the authorities.

“The Comptroller General of NIS, Mr Idris Jere, has always advised Nigerians to get genuine travellers’ documents before leaving the country.

“Yes, we are part of the ECOWAS treaty of free movement and goods within the sub-region, the condition is that you must enter those countries through a legitimate route and with the right travel documents.

“It is also important to have definite means of livelihood, if not; by the time you get there, they will see you as a public charge and they will return you to your country,” he said.

Emeka urged Nigerians to always travel with valid documents, adding that they should live and do their businesses according to the law of the land they had travelled to.

He said the Government of Ghana had contacted the Seme Command of NIS that they would be repatriating more Nigerians soon.

The controller promised to return those already repatriated to their families after NIS must have concluded its investigation.