A Nigerian man deported from the United States has accused Ghanaian officials of abandoning him and five others in Togo under questionable circumstances.
Speaking anonymously to the BBC, the man alleged that he and other West African deportees were tricked into believing they would be transferred from a military camp in Ghana to better accommodation.
Instead, they were allegedly smuggled through a “backdoor route” into Togo after police were bribed.
“They did not take us through the main border; they took us through the back door. They paid the police there and dropped us in Togo,” the deportee said. The group, which includes three Nigerians and a Liberian, has been left stranded without valid documents.
The man described the conditions at the Ghanaian military camp as “deplorable”, citing poor food, lack of clean water, and inadequate healthcare.
He said that requests for improvement led officials to claim they would be moved to a hotel, but instead, the relocation turned into a covert expulsion.
Stranded In Lomé without papers
The deportees are currently lodged in a small hotel in Lomé, Togo’s capital, where they rely on staff to receive money transfers from relatives abroad. With no documentation, they face restrictions on movement and risk harassment from local authorities.
“We’re struggling to survive in Togo without any documentation,” the man explained. “None of us has family in Togo. We’re just stuck in a hotel, trying to survive until our lawyers can help.” The situation has placed them in limbo, unable to travel further or return home safely.
The deportee also lamented the personal toll of his deportation. He revealed that he has a family and property in the United States, including a home where his children still live. “I don’t know how they’ll manage while I’m gone. My kids can’t see me, and it’s just so stressful,” he said.
Political backlash over deportation deal
The case has reignited debate over Ghana’s recent agreement to host deported West Africans from the United States.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, defended the decision, describing it as an act of “pan-African empathy.” However, opposition MPs have demanded the deal be suspended until it receives parliamentary approval.
Lawyers representing the deportees have filed legal action against both the US and Ghana, alleging that the forced transfers violated their human rights.
The deportee also claimed that he had US court-ordered protection which should have prevented his deportation, a matter yet to be addressed by Washington.
The Nigerian man, who is linked to the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, fears persecution if he returns home.
He warned that being stranded in Togo leaves him vulnerable to arrest or abuse, adding: “We were not supposed to be here. We were dumped.”