Nigeria’s Federal Government has strongly pushed back against calls for the mass deportation of its citizens from Ghana, firmly stating, “We’re Not Criminals!”

This comes in response to growing anti-Nigerian sentiment in Ghana, including protests demanding expulsions due to perceived involvement in crime and social vices.

Nigerian authorities emphasize the deep historical and regional ties between the two nations, arguing that the actions of a few individuals should not tarnish the image of the entire Nigerian community in Ghana.

Senator Bassey Aniekan, Chairman of the Nigerian Senate Committee on Diaspora, stressed that “Nigerians are hardworking people and not criminals as purported.”

Diplomatic efforts are now underway to ease tensions, with Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, engaging Ghanaian officials. Both countries’ High Commissions are also working on the issue.

The Nigerian Senate has urged its citizens in Ghana to remain calm and avoid any retaliatory actions, advocating for dialogue as the path to peace.

This current dispute highlights past expulsions between Nigeria and Ghana, such as Ghana’s 1969 expulsion of Nigerians and Nigeria’s “Ghana Must Go” policy in 1983.

Nigeria is advocating for a resolution that upholds the ECOWAS protocol on free movement and strengthens the brotherhood between the two nations.