Forty-three years after the Shehu Shagari-led Nigerian government spearheaded the deportation of Ghanaian immigrants back to their country, payback time seems to have come, as several Ghanaians have led a protest demanding the deportation of Nigerians from Ghana.
The protest, seen in a viral video on Tuesday, accused Nigerian residents of ritual killings and mass prostitution in their country.
The protesters, who trooped out in large numbers, were seen wielding placards with various inscriptions such as: “Armed robbery and violent attacks must stop,” “Our health at stake due to mass prostitution,” “Who protects the rights and freedom of Ghanaians?” “Nigerians are kidnapping and using people for rituals,” “Our kids are getting missing because of Igbos,” among others.
They also displayed a picture of a man who was allegedly killed by a Nigerian in the Accra area of the country.
Some of the protesters who spoke in the video noted, “Nigerians must go because you can’t be in someone’s country and be doing anyhow. Nigerians must go.”
“They are in every part of the country and have targeted our markets. Nigerians are in almost every village, and our laws do not allow foreigners to engage in real dealings. They are perpetrating evil in our country. They even have an Igbo king in Ghana. They have hijacked our lands. It is just a matter of time; we will conquer them and take back our country,” they stressed.
Reacting to the development, the Federal Government on Tuesday sued for calm, saying it is currently monitoring the situation in the West African country.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), in a statement, condemned the generalisation of Nigerians as criminals, describing it as unfair and dangerous.
NIDCOM Chairman/CEO, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, noted that while a few individuals may be involved in wrongdoing, the majority of Nigerians living in Ghana are law-abiding and contribute positively to society.
She said, “Nigerians are not criminals. They are good ambassadors wherever they find themselves, while those bad ones should be fished out and made to face the necessary sanctions.
“Ghana and Nigeria are like Siamese twins. They are brothers, and such, in the spirit of ECOWAS and regional integration, should continue to live in peace like brothers.”
The Commission therefore appealed for calm and urged Nigerians living in Ghana not to be provoked or engage in violence, as the issue is being handled at the diplomatic level.
“There is no evidence to support that, and we must at all costs prevent any reprisal attacks,” she emphasized.