A Nigerian man deported from the US to Ghana has told the BBC that he is now stuck in a hotel in Togo, after he and five others were secretly transferred to the neighbouring country by Ghanaian officers. The man said they were informed they would be moved from a military camp to better accommodation, but were then 'dumped' in Togo. The BBC has approached Ghana's government for comment.
The US government deported the Nigerian man - along with other West African nationals - as part of its crackdown on immigration. Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa previously said the government had accepted the deportees in the spirit of 'pan-African empathy'.
The Nigerian, who has requested anonymity for safety reasons, alleged that Ghanaian officers took him and the five other deportees into Togo through a back route. He further claimed that this was done after bribing local police, and without informing Togolese authorities of their entry. 'They did not take us through the main border, they took us through the back door. They paid the police there and dropped us in Togo,' he said.
With no documents of their own, he said they relied on the hotel staff to receive money from relatives abroad to cover their bills. 'We're struggling to survive in Togo without any documentation,' he said. 'None of us has family in Togo. We're just stuck in a hotel.'
He has also expressed concerns for his family in the US, fearing the financial strain of mortgage payments as he remains separated from them. The man has ties to the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, which has led to fears of persecution should he return to Nigeria.
Criticism emerges regarding US deportation policies as lawyers for the deportees initiate legal action against the US and Ghanaian governments, alleging rights violations. Meanwhile, Ghana’s authorities are being pressed to address parliamentary concerns regarding the deportation agreements.
The US government deported the Nigerian man - along with other West African nationals - as part of its crackdown on immigration. Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa previously said the government had accepted the deportees in the spirit of 'pan-African empathy'.
The Nigerian, who has requested anonymity for safety reasons, alleged that Ghanaian officers took him and the five other deportees into Togo through a back route. He further claimed that this was done after bribing local police, and without informing Togolese authorities of their entry. 'They did not take us through the main border, they took us through the back door. They paid the police there and dropped us in Togo,' he said.
With no documents of their own, he said they relied on the hotel staff to receive money from relatives abroad to cover their bills. 'We're struggling to survive in Togo without any documentation,' he said. 'None of us has family in Togo. We're just stuck in a hotel.'
He has also expressed concerns for his family in the US, fearing the financial strain of mortgage payments as he remains separated from them. The man has ties to the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, which has led to fears of persecution should he return to Nigeria.
Criticism emerges regarding US deportation policies as lawyers for the deportees initiate legal action against the US and Ghanaian governments, alleging rights violations. Meanwhile, Ghana’s authorities are being pressed to address parliamentary concerns regarding the deportation agreements.
