A Nigerian man deported from the United States to Ghana has claimed he is now stranded in Togo after being secretly transferred across the border with five others by Ghanaian officials.
According to a report by BBC on Wednesday, the man, who requested anonymity, said they were initially informed they would be moved from a military camp to better accommodation, but were instead “dumped” in Togo.
He alleged the group was taken through a back route, reportedly after local police were bribed, and without notifying Togolese authorities.
“They did not take us through the main border; they took us through the back door. They paid the police there and dropped us in Togo,” he said.
Four of the deportees—three Nigerians and a Liberian—are currently staying in a hotel in Lomé, the Togolese capital. With no documents, they depend on hotel staff to receive money from relatives abroad.
“We’re struggling to survive in Togo without any documentation,” the man explained. “None of us has family in Togo. We’re just stuck in a hotel. Right now, we’re just trying to survive until our lawyers can help us with this situation.”
He described conditions at the Ghanaian military camp as “deplorable.” “Life there was really hard, so we asked for a better place, better medication, better healthcare and better water,” he said, adding that instead of improved care, they were taken across the border.
“When we arrived, we asked what we were doing at the border, and they told us they wanted us to sign some paperwork so they could take us to a hotel, but we didn’t sign anything,” he stated.
Speaking on the personal toll, he said: “I have a house in the US where my kids live. How am I supposed to pay the mortgage? I don’t know how they’ll manage while I’m gone. My kids can’t see me, and it’s just so stressful.”
The deportee, a member of the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, said he fears returning to Nigeria because of the risk of arrest or torture. He also insisted he had US court-ordered protection that should have stopped his deportation, although American authorities have not provided an explanation.
The man was among a group of West Africans—including citizens of Togo, Liberia, and The Gambia—deported from US detention to Ghana last month. Lawyers have since filed lawsuits against both the US and Ghana, alleging rights violations.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the deportees were accepted out of “pan-African empathy,” denying that any money was involved. President John Mahama had earlier announced the arrangement, which has since drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers demanding parliamentary approval before any further deportations.
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