Three Foreigners Bolt After Being Found With New Voter ID Cards

Kulungugu (U/E), April 5, GNA- Three foreigners who registered as eligible Ghanaian voters in the just ended voter registration exercise, were on Monday arrested at the Kulungugu border post near Bawku on their way to Burkina Faso.

The suspects, Hamadu Amadu, 34, and Hamadu Bukari, 30, both Burkinabes, and a 29-year-old Nigerian, Sumaila Nyemdu, however, outwitted immigration authorities and escaped from detention.

They had in their possession the recently issued Voter ID cards. Briefing the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Kulungugu, an official of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Mr. Emmanuel Amoh, said the culprits were onboard a foreign registered Urvan bus, 11P5413, bound for Burkina Faso from Bawku at about 1730 hours.

He said on arrival at the border post, the passengers were made to go through the routine immigration formalities and that during a search, three of the passengers had in their possession Ghanaian Voter ID cards in addition to their Burkinabe national ID cards.

The Immigration Officer said when the three suspects were questioned in English as to how they got the Voter ID cards, they claimed they did not understand the language until an interpreter was brought in.

Mr. Amoh said the suspects further claimed they were Ghanaians and this raised suspicion among the officers, who decided to detain the suspects while a message was relayed to the Bawku police.

He said while the suspects were being detained, another bus approached the border and when he, Mr. Amoh and other officials went to attend to the passengers on that bus, the suspects took advantage of their absence and escaped.

The Immigration Officer explained that inadequate staffing at the border and poor visibility due to the approach of darkness made it easier for the suspects to escape.