Tensions flared in parts of Ghana on Tuesday as groups of protesters took to the streets, demanding the expulsion of Nigerians over allegations of rising crime and economic dominance.
Gatekeepers News reports that the protesters, wielding placards with inflammatory messages, accused Nigerians of kidnapping, ritual killings, prostitution, and dominating local markets and land ownership.
Videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators shouting slogans such as “Nigerians must go because you can’t be in someone’s country and be doing anyhow.” Some protesters also claimed that Nigerians, particularly those of Igbo descent, had hijacked Ghanaian lands and markets.
The protests sparked concerns over potential diplomatic fallout between the two West African neighbors, especially given the historical context. In 1983, Nigeria’s President Shehu Shagari ordered the expulsion of nearly two million undocumented immigrants, mostly Ghanaians, citing economic pressures.
As of press time, the Ghanaian government had not issued an official statement addressing the protest or clarifying its stance on the status of Nigerians living in the country. No Nigerian government official had publicly responded to the protests either.
The development has reignited debates over immigration policy, economic competition, and xenophobia in West Africa.
