Following the recent rash of kidnappings across Ghana, for which Nigerians are being regarded as principal suspects, the Nigerian resident community in the country has announced its intention to establish neighbourhood watches to monitor the activities and conduct of their compatriots residing here and report suspicious and illegal behavior to the law enforcement agencies.
This is one of several initiatives, aimed at curbing such illegal activities by resident Nigerians, as announced by Chief Calistus Elozienwa, acting President of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Organization’s Ghana chapter at a press conference held by NIDO at the Ghana International Press Centre at the weekend.
Another initiative by NIDO is an approach to the Ghana Police Service to partner it in surveillance and actual arrest of suspicious Nigerians. Furthermore both NIDO and the Nigerian High Commission in Accra are engaging in outreach programmes all around Ghana to sensitize Nigerians as to being law abiding and desisting from criminal behavior.
However, Chief Elozienwa also used the opportunity to note that Nigerians are being labelled as the guilty parties in the recent kidnapping despite the lack of firm evidence adduced against them. He pointed out that it was only in the kidnaping of the three Takoradi girls that investigations have identified complicity by a Nigerian. He noted that such unconfirmed allegations can create a back lash against law abiding Nigerians.
“There is a clear and present danger that this situation could be used by some forces in Ghana to generate a violent back lash against law abiding, sociall6 re3sponsible Nigerians” he fretted while addressing the assembled journalists.
He reminded the journalists in attendance that although there are some criminals among the Nige3rians resident in Ghana, most Nigerians living in the country are law abiding professionals or business people. He also recounted the contributions of Nigerian owned companies, especially those in the financial services, mobile telecoms and upstream oil and gas sectors, to Ghana’s economic growth and development.