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‘Nigerians Must Go’: Ghanaians Protest Alleged Ritual Killings, Prostitution, Kidnappings
Tension is rising in Ghana following a recent protest against Nigerians living in the country. In a viral video that surfaced on Tuesday, hundreds of Ghanaians were seen demonstrating with placards, accusing Nigerians of involvement in mass prostitution, ritual killings, kidnapping, and other crimes.
Placards carried by protesters included inscriptions such as: Armed robbery and violent attacks must stop, Our health at stake due to mass prostitution, Who protects the right and freedom of Ghanaians?, Nigerians are kidnapping and using people for rituals, Our kids are getting missing because of Igbos.
The demonstrators also displayed an image of a man who was allegedly murdered by a Nigerian in Accra.
One of the protesters, a woman in her mid-30s, expressed her frustration on camera, saying:
“Nigerians must go because you can’t be in someone’s country and be doing anyhow. Nigerians must go.”
Another protester accused Nigerians of economic domination and illegal activities in Ghana’s markets and rural areas:
“These Igbo, they are in every part of the country and have targeted our markets. Not just Igbo, Nigerians are in almost every village, and our laws have not allowed foreigners to engage in real dealings. They are perpetrating evil in our country. They even have a Igbo king in Ghana. They have hijacked our lands. It is just a matter of time; we will conquer them and take over our country.”
The protest has drawn parallels to the 1983 “Ghana Must Go” incident, when the Nigerian government under President Shehu Shagari ordered an estimated two million undocumented immigrants, primarily Ghanaians, to leave Nigeria. At the time, President Shagari declared:
“If they don’t leave, they should be arrested, tried and sent back to their homes. Illegal immigrants, under normal circumstances, should not be given any notice whatsoever. If you break a law, then you have to pay for it.”
This event led to the creation of the now-iconic “Ghana Must Go” bag, which has become a symbol of mass deportation and xenophobia in West Africa.
As of the time of this report, the Ghanaian government has yet to release an official statement regarding the protest or how it intends to handle the growing public agitation against Nigerians, regardless of their immigration status.
