By Courage Edwin Amenuda
Denu (V/R) – The Denu Circuit Court has sentenced a 32-year-old Nigerien tricycle rider, Mustapha Usman, to seven months’ imprisonment for facilitating the unlawful entry of four Nigerian nationals into Ghana.
Usman was sentenced to three months for migrant smuggling and four months for causing a false representation to be made, with the sentences to run concurrently.
Usman, who appeared before the court without legal representation, pleaded guilty to both charges after they were read and translated into Hausa with the assistance of officers of the Ghana Police Service, Ketu Division.
The court subsequently convicted him on both counts and ordered that he be returned to the custody of the Aflao Police Station pending his transfer to the Ho Central Prison.
The four Nigerian migrants involved in the case have since been repatriated.
Prosecuting, DSI Emmanuel Faith Otchere-Baffour, who held brief for DCOI Mark Asamoah-Boakye, Esq., told the court that Usman, a tricycle rider resident in Togo, was arrested by officers of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Aflao Sector Command, at the Aflao Border Beat 6 Post.
The prosecution said the four Nigerians had engaged Usman to facilitate their entry into Ghana and agreed to pay him GH¢200 each to transport them from the Lagos Lorry Park in Lomé, Togo, to Kojoviakope, near the Aflao Beat 6 area.
Upon reaching Kojoviakope, Usman allegedly sought the assistance of an accomplice identified as Remy, who is currently at large, to facilitate the migrants’ unlawful entry into Ghana.
According to the prosecution, the four migrants were concealed in the bucket of Usman’s tricycle and covered to make the vehicle appear empty and evade immigration profiling and checks.
Remy allegedly arranged for another tricycle rider to transport the loaded vehicle into Ghana while he and Usman monitored the operation from a distance.
The tricycle entered Ghana at about 6:30 p.m. but was subsequently intercepted by immigration officers around Beat 7.
The prosecution said Usman later approached the scene and identified himself as the owner of the tricycle, while the other rider took advantage of the confusion and fled.
The four migrants were subsequently taken to the border for questioning, where they confirmed that they had each contributed towards payment of the GH¢200 fee to Usman.
Usman was charged with migrant smuggling, contrary to Section 52A(2) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573), as amended by the Immigration (Amendment) Act, 2012 (Act 848).
He was also charged with causing a false representation to be made, contrary to Section 52(1)(e) and Section 2(6) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).
The court convicted Usman on his own plea and imposed the custodial sentences accordingly.
