Officers of the Ghana Immigration Service, Upper West Regional Command on Saturday and Sunday arrested in total 17 illegal migrants, 16 Burkinabes and a Nigerrien.
Eleven of the Burkina Faso nationals were apprehended on Saturday May 17, 2020 by officers at the beat 2, beat 3 and 4 unapproved routes after the Burkinabes entered into Ghana illegally. The arrestees who were on bikes with registration numbers 32-LT-7904, 32-2F-3232 and 32-LI-1197 include 10 males and a female all aging between 18 and 34 years.
They have since been screened by the border health experts and handed over to the Burkina Faso border authorities to ensure their repatriation. A statement issued by the Public Affairs Officer of the GIS Upper West Regional Command, IOC Ibn Yussif Duranah Abdul-Mumuni Seidu indicates that the eleven Burkinabes were heading towards Wa and Kumasi.
“At about 0910HRS and ,1700HRS the vigilant Immigration Officials on duty at the beat 2, 3 and 4 unapproved routes, ELEVEN Burkinabes were ceased for illegally entering into Ghana. They include ten males and a female. Their ages ranged between 18 and 34. They were apprehended on motor bikes with registration numbers 32-LT-7904, 32-2F-3232, 32-LI-1197 as well as two unregistered ones.
They were screened by the health personnel before being handed over to the Burkina Faso authorities on the other side of the border at about 1150HRS and 1750HRS respectively. Our investigations revealed that they were destined for Wa and Kumasi for farming activities” Ibn Yussif noted.
In a related development, Immigration officers at the Hamile Police barrier on Sunday May 18, 2020 busted five Burkina Faso nationals and one nigerrrien comprising four males and two females aging between 20 and 35.
According to IOC Ibn Yussif Duranah Abdul-Mumuni Seidu, Public Affairs Officer of the Immigration Service, Upper West Region, the illegal migrants were aided into Ghana by some Okada riders through unapproved routes adding that, the migrants were traveling to Kumasi and Techiman for trading activities.
He noted that, the arrestees were immediately screened by the border health officials before they were handed over to border officers at the Burkina Faso side of the border to get them repatriated.
“At about 2330HRS, the vigilant Immigration Officials on duty at the Hamile Police Barrier intercepted six ECOEAS nationals made up of five Burkinabes and a Nigerrien. They compromised four males and two females. Their ages ranged between 20 and 35. Our investigations revealed that they were aided by some defiant okada motor riders into Ghana through an unapproved route.
It was also revealed that the migrants were destined for Kumasi and Techiman respectively for trading purposes. They were screened by the Port Health personnel before being handed over to the Burkina Faso authorities on the other side of the border at at the Hamile border post at about 1030HRS” Ibn Yussif Duranah stated.
Ghana’s government imposes closure of the country’s borders as a measure to contain the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus and has since extended the closure to 31st May 2020. Meanwhile Ghana’s case count of COVID-19 stood at 5,735 confirmed positive cases, 29 deaths and1,754 recoveries.
