A wave of protests has erupted in Ghana as some citizens accused Nigerians of being involved in criminal activities, including prostitution and ritual killings.
In a viral video circulating online on Tuesday, large groups of demonstrators were seen marching with placards bearing messages such as: “Armed robbery and violent attacks must stop,” “Our health at stake due to mass prostitution,” “Who protects the rights and freedom of Ghanaians?” and “Nigerians are kidnapping and using people for rituals.” One placard even blamed missing children on “Igbos,” a Nigerian ethnic group.
The protesters also displayed an image of a man allegedly murdered by a Nigerian in the Accra region, citing it as further justification for their outrage.
A visibly agitated woman in the video shouted, “Nigerians must go because you can’t be in someone’s country and behave anyhow.”
The protest echoes the historic 1983 expulsion of undocumented West African immigrants—primarily Ghanaians—from Nigeria during the Shehu Shagari administration. The directive, which led to the deportation of over two million people, birthed the now-famous “Ghana Must Go” bags used to pack their belongings, symbolizing exclusion and forced migration.
President Shagari at the time stated, “Illegal immigrants, under normal circumstances, should not be given any notice whatsoever. If you break a law, then you have to pay for it.”
As of the time of this report, the Ghanaian government has not issued an official statement on the protest or clarified its stance on the demand for Nigerians’ deportation.
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