Court jails tricycle rider 7months for smuggling four Nigeriens into Ghana

Denu Circuit Court has sentenced a 32-year-old Nigerien tricycle rider, Mustapha Usman, to seven months' imprisonment for facilitating the unlawful entry of four Nigeriens into Ghana.

Usman was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for migrant smuggling and four months for causing a false representation to be made, with the sentences to run concurrently.

He appeared before the court without legal representation and pleaded guilty to both charges after they were read and translated into Hausa with the assistance of the Ghana Police Service, Ketu Division.

He was subsequently convicted on both counts.

The court ordered that Usman be returned to the custody of the Aflao Police Station pending his transfer to the Ho Central Prison.

The four Nigerien migrants involved in the case have since been repatriated.

Presenting the case, DSI Emmanuel Faith Otchere-Baffour, who held brief for DCOI Mark Asamoah-Boakye, told the court that Usman, a tricycle rider resident in Togo, was arrested by officers of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) Aflao Sector Command at the Aflao Border Beat Six Post.

The prosecution said four Nigeriens engaged Usman to facilitate their entry into Ghana and agreed to pay him GH¢200 each to transport them from the Lagos Lorry Park in Lomé, Togo, to Kojoviakope near the Aflao Beat Six area.

According to the prosecution, upon arrival at Kojoviakope, Usman contacted an accomplice identified as Remy, who is currently at large, to help facilitate the migrants' unlawful entry into Ghana.

The court heard that the four migrants were concealed in the bucket of Usman's tricycle and covered to make it appear empty and evade immigration checks.

The prosecution said Remy arranged for another tricycle rider to transport the loaded tricycle into Ghana while he and Usman monitored the operation from a distance.

The tricycle crossed into Ghana at about 6:30 p.m. and was later intercepted by immigration officers around Beat Seven.

According to the prosecution, Usman approached the scene after the interception and identified himself as the owner of the tricycle, while the other rider fled.

The four migrants were taken to the border for questioning and told investigators that they had each contributed towards the GH¢200 payment made to Usman.

Usman was charged with migrant smuggling, contrary to Section 52A(2) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573), as amended by the Immigration (Amendment) Act, 2012 (Act 848).

He was also charged with causing a false representation to be made, contrary to Section 52(1)(e) and Section 2(6) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).

Source: GNA