707 Foreign Nationals Serving Jail In Ghana

Seven hundred and seven foreigners, mainly Nigerians, are serving various sentences in the country's prisons.

The inmates, including Chinese, Togolese, Beninois, Liberians, Camerounians, Americans, British and other African and Western nationals, are serving various sentences for crimes, including narcotics and armed robbery.

The Chief Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Prisons Service, ASP Courage Atsem, who disclosed the statistics to the Daily Graphic, said apart from the Ashanti Region, there were foreigners in the prisons in other regions.

In a separate interview, the Head of Public Relations at the Ghana Immigration Service, ACP Francis Palmdeti, explained that Nigerians dominated the number of foreigners in the prisons probably because they constituted the highest number of expatriates in the country.

He said there had been a drastic increase in Nigerian expatriates arriving in the country over the years and indicated that 102,657 Nigerians legally arrived in the country in 2010, through the Eastern corridor.

ACP Palmdeti said in as much as some Nigerians and other foreigners were law abiding and contributed to the socio-economic development of the society, there were also others who were criminals.

He said it was, therefore, important as citizens to be vigilant and be on the lookout for such deviants.

“We must be able to report illegal activities of foreigners, who will be arrested, tried and punished in order to serve as lessons to others,” he said.

ACP Palmdeti noted that although the country was noted for its hospitality and peace, it should not pave the way for criminals to abuse the hospitality of Ghanaians.

He, therefore, urged society to collaborate with the security agencies to make the country uncomfortable for criminals