How Ghana’s security officials turned Nigerian commercial buses into traveling ATMs

For many travelers along the Accra-Aflao route, a critical artery between Ghana and Togo, what should be a normal journey often turns into a nightmare, especially for those travelling from Nigeria. Ghanaian security operatives stationed along this highway have turned it into a zone of unrestrained authority. It is a route where helpless passengers—especially Nigerians—are subjected to humiliation, harassment, and extortion over the flimsiest of excuses. A minor visa overstay by a single day or two can lead to detention and coercion for bribes. In this fourth part of our series on how security operatives prey on travelers along the Lagos-Cotonou-Lomé-Accra corridor, we focus on the experiences along the Ghana route, exposing the disturbing stories of travellers, who have suffered at the hands of corrupt officials, including our own correspondent.

Stereotyped and targeted

Nigerians are often subjected to suspicion and mistreatment in many parts of the world, but one might expect them to find some relief within the West African sub-region, given the existing Treaty of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the protocol granted ECOWAS citizens the right to enter, reside, and establish economic activities within member states, outlining a three-phase plan to achieve the “complete freedom of movement” envisioned by the treaty.

Unfortunately, instead of enjoying free movement, West Africans, especially Nigerians crossing borders in the sub-region are often received like long-lost criminals rather than fellow nationals. We are particular about Nigerians because they constituted over 80 percent of passengers in the buses our correspondent boarded in the course of this investigation. Besides, all the commercial buses plying the routes are Nigerian-owned.

Perhaps that is why security agents in neighboring countries seem to have a special skill for spotting them in a crowd and offering them the “VIP” treatment of extra frisking, suspicious stares, and extended questioning.

It is almost as if being Nigerian comes with an invisible badge that reads, “Handle with extreme caution,” and our correspondent certainly got more than his fair share of that special treatment.

During our investigation, our correspondent witnessed multiple incidents of unnecessary harassment and excessive force particularly by on travelers. These abuses occurred not only at the country’s entry and exit points but also along the road leading to Accra.

At the Togo-Ghana border, Ghanaian authorities subjected commercial buses arriving from Nigeria to nerve-racking searches. In contrast, Ghanaians and nationals from other countries received considerably less or no attention and scrutiny.

You can also read – Road to Extortion: How Security Forces Prey on Travelers on Lagos-Cotonou-Lome-Accra Route – Part II

However, the treatment given to foreign nationals entering Nigeria from the Cotonou border was slightly better. Apart from collecting illegal levies from nearly every vehicle entering the country at the border, foreign nationals were spared the kind of humiliating searches and harassment that Nigerians experienced in Ghana.

The journey from Prampram Junction on the outskirts of Accra to the Aflao border which is slightly above 151 kilometres had a total of 27 checkpoints controlled by the Ghana Police, Immigration, and Customs Services.

It is worth noting that Nigerians make up over 80 percent of the passengers on every commercial bus along the busy Accra-Lomé-Cotonou-Lagos route—and, naturally, they are also the most “generously” extorted.

On a typical 10-seater bus, security agencies in Ghana demanded payments amounting to ₦92,000 (equivalent to 900 Ghanaian cedis), based on the parallel market exchange rate.

To get a clear picture of what drivers and passengers endure in Ghana, buckle up for a bumpy ride! We are about to take you on a wild journey through his six return trips along the route, where the road was not the only thing full of twists and turns but the experiences too.

Ghana Police Service

The Ghana Police had the highest number of checkpoints between Prampram Junction and Aflao border, with a total of 19. This tally does not include the additional motorised patrol teams stationed along the route.

While the motorised patrol teams never extorted any of the buses boarded by our correspondent during the investigation, it was a totally different kettle of fish with police officers stationed at the 19 checkpoints along the route.

Our correspondent noticed that vehicles leaving Accra for Lagos practically got VIP treatment. The officers simply waved them through their barricades until they got to the border where they were stopped and extorted before clearing them to cross into Togo.

From the very first checkpoint just a few kilometers from Aflao, right up to the last one in Prampram, commercial bus drivers were hit with demands for money at every stop.

Though the Ghana Police did not directly ask for cash, they mastered the creative art of time-wasting, excessive checking, and a few casual threats of arrest. Just enough to make drivers willingly part with 10 – 20 cedis.

During the investigation, our correspondent frequently clashed with the police whenever he questioned their reasons for causing excessive delays for drivers even after finding nothing incriminating in the vehicles.

It was particularly puzzling because after thoroughly searching vehicles and passengers without finding anything implicating, the police officers would still shop for excuses to keep them.

During one such incident near Sogakope, a policeman, clearly frustrated that our correspondent would not let the driver pay a bribe of 20 GH₵, ordered him to step down for a thorough search.

The police officer, who proudly introduced himself as Sergeant Idris Ibrahim Yaya, claimed he was searching our correspondent for illegal arms, ammunition, and narcotics, adding that no one, including himself, was above the law.

“Mr. Journalist,” he barked, “when you’re writing your report, don’t forget to mention that your identity doesn’t exempt you from a search. And tell your readers how you asked for a search warrant, and I graciously tried to educate you on when one is required—but, of course, you were too proud to listen,” Yaya said, after our correspondent insisted on seeing a warrant.

Yaya, who authorised the search of our correspondent’s person and luggage, did not allow the officer conducting the search to be searched himself. The officer tore through our correspondent’s bag in a desperate attempt to find something incriminating, only to come up empty-handed.

Frustrated, the officer then demanded our correspondent’s passport, taking his search efforts to a whole new, immigration-like level.

Surprised by the audacity, our correspondent firmly pushed back, stating that the police had no legal right to carry out tasks meant for the Ghana Immigration Service and insisted on being taken to the nearest police station.

At this point, Sergeant Yaya back-stepped and quickly denied ever authorising his subordinate to ask for the passport. He then ordered the driver to continue the journey, as if nothing unusual had just happened.

This audio offers a glimpse into the exchange between our correspondent and Sergeant Idris Yarya. (Credit: GuardPost Nigeria)

On all the six trips from Lagos to Accra, the buses carrying our correspondent faced intense checks by the police. Passengers, especial those of Nigerian origin were routinely singled out and ordered to step down.

Even when no incriminating items were found after the searches, the officers would often shift their focus to other vehicles, leaving the drivers and passengers stranded. The only way to continue the journey was to pay bribes.

On every Lagos-to-Accra trip, our correspondent, always a front-seat passenger, noticed that the Ghana Police Service had a knack for “lightening the load” of each 10-seater commercial bus to the tune of at least 180 GH₵ (N18, 118). Apparently, traveling to Ghana now comes with a little “forced generosity.”

Every driver on the route, who spoke to our correspondent agreed that before COVID-19, the Ghana Police Service were ahead of their Nigerian counterparts in terms of professionalism and discipline.

But things took a tailspin during the COVID era, especially during the lockdown. That was when the Ghana Police discovered a new “business model.”

From making humble bribe requests that started at a paltry five GH₵ and to 10 GH₵, it has eventually increased to a cool 20 GH₵ currently. Inflation hits everyone and everything, including bribes, it seems!

In a rare interview, a driver along the route told our correspondent that the security operatives along the Lagos, Cotonou, Lomé, and Accra stretch have a simple policy: no receipts for the money they receive. As he put it, corruption isn’t just present—it’s sitting comfortably, right out in the open.

Anonymous driver sharing his experience with our reporter (Credit: GuardPost Nigeria)

Ghana Immigration Service

Almost every Nigerian crossing the Ghanaian land border at Aflao is met with disdainful suspicion from the well-fed and properly-dressed immigration officers stationed there, making it an experience one can hardly escape.

For anyone who has flown into the country through the Kotoka International Airport, it might come as a shock to meet the immigration officers along the Accra-Aflao border, who seem like they were trained in the fiery suburbs of hell itself.

At the international airport, one is greeted with smiles and questions are asked professionally, almost like they are going to roll out the red carpet. But on the infamous Accra – Aflao route? The story is shockingly different. While they welcome Ghanaians back to the Motherland, foreigners are greeted with scowls.

Instead of a normal conversation, travelers are subjected to interrogation that is akin to a crime drama, as if simply holding a foreign passport automatically makes one a prime suspect!

Our correspondent endured an endless parade of harassment and humiliation during the investigation, with the Aflao border serving as the grand finale of misery.

On the very first leg of the journey, he was arrested and detained by Ghana Immigration officials for the heinous crime of overstaying his visa by—wait for it—two whole days. That was an unpardonable crime.

Even after explaining that he was a journalist on the trail of human traffickers in the region, the officials stuck to their guns. They insisted that our correspondent had broken the law and would soon be enjoying the hospitality of a Ghanaian jail. Because, clearly, those extra 48 hours were a menace to the country!

“You cannot use your investigation as an excuse to break the law of Ghana. Your profession does not exempt you from obeying Ghanaian laws,” a visa officer, who had covered his name tag with a cardigan warned our reporter.

To continue his journey, our reporter had no choice but to fork over 60 GH₵ (N6, 000) in “fines,” though no receipt was ever provided for the “generous” contribution.

When he politely asked for a receipt to validate the payment, the head of the border command, who orchestrated the extortion, threatened to detain him and refund the fine. Because nothing speaks to an efficient “customer service” quite like an arrest for wanting a receipt!

Apart from the harassment and humiliation during the daring journeys, we discovered a startling reality: anyone with an average of N2,000 could easily travel across borders along the route without a passport.

But more disturbing was the discovery that traveling without any form of identification was often simpler than dealing with the consequences of overstaying a visa by just a day or carrying an expired passport. This was particularly true across the four contiguous countries, where paying the right price made the rules seem almost irrelevant.

You can also read – Ambitious Investigation Shows NSCDC Only Nigerian Security Agency Not Extorting

In fact, law enforcement officers in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, and Ghana seem far more thrilled to have someone pay the “right price” and travel without a shred of identification than to deal with the hassle of a valid passport. Who needs official document when cash is all that is needed to get things done?

During each of the trips embarked by our correspondent, GIS, operating three major checkpoints, collected a total of GH₵38,000 (N38,249) in bribes—the highest collected by any security agency in the country.

Ghana Customs Service

The Ghana Customs Service (GCS) set up five checkpoints along the route. The checkpoints are at Dabala, Sogakope, Akachi, Prampram, and just before the Aflao border gate. They extorted 150 GH₵ (N15,098) from every 10-seater commercial bus entering the country from Nigeria.

However, GCS operatives never stopped or searched any of the buses our correspondent boarded while traveling from Accra to Lagos. Only vehicles entering Ghana from Nigeria were targeted for extortion.

At the GCS outpost in Sogakope, piles of goods confiscated from passengers were visible, and many of the passengers could be seen negotiating and paying large sums of money to have their items returned.

Majority of the seized goods were Nigerian-made products such as Guinness Malt, Amstel Malt, fabrics, palm oil, crayfish, and dried fish.

Our correspondent was able to record some of the activities at the Customs outpost at Sogakope as can be seen in the video below.

Impounded goods at Ghana Customs Service outpost in Sogakope (Credit: GuardPost Nigeria)

Extortion within Aflao Border Post

Throughout our investigation, our correspondent observed that extortion at the Aflao border post was a constant occurrence for vehicles entering or leaving Ghana. Upon reaching the final Customs checkpoint, situated just outside the border, a waiting border agent would take control of the process.

The driver would hand over photocopies of the vehicle manifest and all passengers’ travel documents to the agent, who would then present them to various agencies. This wasn’t just for clearance, but also for the payment of unofficial, unreceipted fees. Drivers carrying our correspondent paid no less than 200 GH₵ (₦20,131).

No words from Ghanaian authorities

GuardPost made multiple attempts to reach out to Ghanaian authorities through phone calls and emails, but, predictably, received radio silence. A request for a response to our findings was first sent to the verified email address of Ghana’s Ministry of Interior ([email protected]). We got no reply.

We didn’t stop there. Similar emails were sent to the official addresses listed on the websites of the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana Customs Service, and the Ghana Police Service. The result? Cricket silence.

Determined not to throw in the towel, we tracked down the verified email and phone number of the Ministry of Information ([email protected] and +233 302 909 609). However, the phone number proved to be unreachable, and our email met the same fate as the others and landed in a digital black hole.

As a last-ditch effort, we reached out directly to the Minister of Information, Hon Fatimatu Abubakar, through her verified email and WhatsApp contact. Predictably, the email went unanswered, and the WhatsApp message was left unread, adding a death knock to our quest for transparency.

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Ibanga Isine

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