Naagyei 90.3 Fm Agyapa
Vigilant Immigration officials and a Defence Intelligence official at the Babile inland post in the Lawra District of the Upper West Region acting on a tip-off have arrested sixteen ECOWAS nationals in two separate incidents, on 29th January 2021.
The first set of six irregular migrants were seized around 0015HRS and comprised of three Malians and three Guinean nationals respectively. They were onboard a bus with registration number AK 867-20 en route Greater Accra and Brong and Ahafo regions respectively.
Preliminary investigations revealed that they had all sneaked into Ghana through unapproved routes on the Hamile stretch bordering neighbouring Burkina Faso.
Their ages ranged between 21 and 39 years. It was further revealed that whereas the three Malians were illegally journeying into Ghana for educational purposes, the Guinean nationals were economic migrants.
On the other hand, at about 0322HRS, 29TH January, 2021, the Immigration personnel on duty at the Babile inland post fished out seven Guinean nationals and three Sierra Leonean nationals who had also entered into Ghana through unapproved routes on the Hamile stretch bordering neighbouring Burkina Faso ostensibly to proceed to the Southern part of Ghana. Whereas the Sierra Leonean nationals claimed that they were on a family visit to Accra, the Guinean nationals were economic migrants.
They comprised of eight males and two females. Their ages ranged between 06 months and 80 years. They were duly screened by the health personnel before before being handed over to the Burkina Faso authorities on the other side of the border at about 1630HRS at the Hamile Border Post.
A statement signed by Asst. Inspector IBN YUSSIF DURANAH ABDUL-MUMIN SEIDU (Upper West Regional Public Affairs Officer) reminded the general public, especially, our ECOWAS neighbors that in view of the covid-19 pandemic, Ghana’s land borders remains closed to human traffic and as such it is illegal to attempt to enter Ghana through an unapproved route.
