The Achimota District Court has sentenced two Nigerian nationals, Isaac Ike and Emmanuel Innocent, to 13 months’ imprisonment each and ordered their deportation after they were found guilty of presenting forged documents in an attempt to secure Ghana Cards.
The two men were initially remanded in police custody at the Tesano Police Station while investigations and trial proceedings were ongoing. They were arrested after officers of the National Identification Authority (NIA) discovered irregularities in the documents submitted during the Ghana Card registration process.
During court proceedings, the prosecution presented evidence proving that the documents used by the accused persons were forged. The Achimota District Court, after careful examination, ruled that both men were guilty of forgery and false representation. Each was sentenced to 13 months in prison, after which the court directed that they be handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service for deportation to Nigeria.
The case highlights Ghana’s ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of its national identification system. The Ghana Card, issued by the NIA, is meant strictly for Ghanaian citizens, and authorities have consistently warned against attempts by foreigners to obtain it through fraudulent means.
The NIA has in recent years intensified collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to clamp down on identity-related crimes. Several cases involving foreigners attempting to register for the Ghana Card using fake birth certificates, voter IDs, or affidavits have led to convictions and deportations.
According to the NIA, anyone who provides false information or forged documents to obtain a Ghana Card commits a serious offence under Ghanaian law. The Authority has repeatedly advised non-citizens legally residing in Ghana to apply for the Non-Citizen ID Card, a legitimate identification designed specifically for foreign nationals.
Authorities say the crackdown on identity fraud is not just about the Ghana Card, but also part of a broader national security effort to prevent data manipulation, financial crimes, and cross-border identity abuse. The NIA insists that strict enforcement protects both the credibility of the system and the safety of citizens.
The Achimota District Court, in sentencing the two Nigerians, stressed that the punishment should serve as a deterrent to others who may attempt to manipulate Ghana’s identity registration processes. The court added that such fraudulent actions undermine public trust in national systems and pose a risk to national security.
With the ruling, the two convicts will serve their sentences and subsequently be deported to their home country, Nigeria. Legal analysts believe the case reinforces Ghana’s zero-tolerance stance on document forgery and illegal acquisition of identity cards.
The National Identification Authority has commended the Ghana Police Service and the judiciary for their swift handling of the case and urged citizens to report any suspicious registration activities at NIA centres nationwide.
This latest conviction adds to a growing list of similar cases in which foreign nationals and local accomplices have faced jail terms for attempting to cheat Ghana’s identification system. It serves as a clear warning that the use of forged documents to obtain national identity credentials will not go unpunished.
0 Comments