Five Togolese have been detained by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) along the country’s border with the neighbouring West African region on their way back to Togo.
The five had come into Ghana to participate in the ongoing voters registration exercise and were returning to Togo when the patrol team arrested them, the GIS has said.
In a press statement issued in Accra yesterday and signed by the Head of Public Affairs of the GIS, Superintendent Michael Amoako-Attah, the five were arrested upon their own admission of being Togolese.
The statement indicated that, only one of the five had both the Togolese voters ID card and the new Ghana voters ID card on him at the time of arrest, with the rest not having any ID on them, although they admitted they had registered for them.
The statement added that, they had their pinky fingers marked with indelible ink, an indication that, they had participated in the registration exercise.
“With the exception of one of them who had in his possession, a new Ghana voters ID card with the number, 2321010939, as well as a Togolese voters ID card, the rest had no new voters ID card on them,” the statement said.
“Initial screening of the Togolese showed that, they had indelible ink on their pinky fingers,” the statement added.
According to the statement, the five have since been referred to the port health officials for medical screening after which they would be handed over to the police for further investigations.
Following the arrest of the foreign nationals, the GIS has asked Ghanaians to stop leaving and entering the country using unauthorised paths, indicating that, it was illegal to do so.
“It is an offence under the laws of Ghana to use any illegitimate means to enter or exit the country,” the statement had it.
Additionally, the service has cautioned all foreign nationals to stop engaging themselves in the ongoing voters registration exercise in Ghana.
BY TIMES REPORTER
