Some Ghanaians under the auspices of Concerned Citizens for Economic Justice and Freedom yesterday staged a protest against alleged harassment of their citizens by the Nigeria Police, violation of their fundamental human rights, and suppression of a completed police investigation report.

The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, stormed the Nigerian High Commission in Roman Ridge, Accra, calling for the intervention of Presidents John Mahama and Bola Tinubu.

Some of the inscriptions read: “President Mahama, Speak to Your Brother”, “President Tinubu Must Sack the IGP”, “Nigeria IGP Is Embarrassing Ghanaians”, “Nigeria Police Abuse Ghanaians”, “Release SIP Report,” and “Nigeria Businesses in Ghana Must Go”.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, the group’s convener, James Clark, appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, and the Nigerian Immigration Service to take urgent action against the harassment of Ghanaians living in Nigeria.

Clark said he was moved to speak out after watching a video sent to him, which showed a Ghanaian being mistreated in Nigeria. “As a Ghanaian, I feel it is my duty to come to the aid of my fellow citizens when they are in distress,” he said. He cited the case of a Ghanaian businessman, Essien Jonah, who was allegedly harassed in Nigeria but later took legal action and won in court.

Clark stressed the importance of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence between the countries. “Nigerians live peacefully with us in Ghana. They marry into our families, and we see them as brothers and sisters. We expect the same treatment for Ghanaians in Nigeria,” he said.

He urged the Ghanaian Commissioner to engage with Nigerian authorities, including the police chief, immigration officers, and President Tinubu, to ensure Ghanaians in Nigeria are treated with dignity and respect.

“When I hear reports of any Ghanaian being bullied, I believe it is my responsibility to speak up and call on the relevant authorities to act,” he added.

A group of Ghanaian investors behind the development of the high-profile River Park Estate in Abuja had dragged Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and other top security officials to the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged harassment, violation of fundamental human rights, and suppression of a completed police investigation report.

The suit, filed by directors of Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited and Houses for Africa Nigeria—Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, Kojo Ansah Mensah, and Victor Quainoo—along with their legal practitioner, Abu Arome, also names as respondents DCP Akin Fakorede, Head of the IGP Monitoring Unit; FCT Commissioner of Police, Ajao Saka Adewale; EFCC Zonal Commander, Michael Wetkas; EFCC investigator, Eunice Vou Dalyop; and one Kabiru Baba.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1130/2025, the Ghanaian businessmen are seeking N200 million in exemplary damages for what they describe as unlawful intimidation, repeated invitations, and an attempt to suppress an investigation report compiled by an 11-member Special Investigation Panel (SIP) previously set up by the Nigeria Police Force to probe the ownership and development dispute surrounding River Park Estate.

According to the court documents, the police concluded their investigation and submitted the SIP report to the IGP’s office, with a directive for review by the Legal Department. However, despite several formal requests, including letters dated March 20 and April 16, 2025, neither the plaintiffs nor their legal representatives have received access to the report.

Instead, the plaintiffs allege that DCP Fakorede, whose unit previously investigated the case, initiated a fresh probe into the same issues already covered in the SIP’s findings.

The investors claim Fakorede’s renewed efforts have led to persistent harassment, including repeated police invitations and the arrest and prolonged interrogation of Kojo Ansah Mensah by the EFCC.

In a further twist, Jonah Capital petitioned the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), urging them to intervene. A letter from the AGF’s office, dated May 16, 2025, formally requested the IGP to release the case file and final SIP report, but the police have yet to comply.

The Ghanaian High Commission in Nigeria also backed the request, with Acting High Commissioner Eddison Mensah Agbenyegah writing to the IGP on April 9, 2025, requesting certified true copies of the SIP report and offering to bear the costs. That appeal, too, has received no official response.

According to the affidavit sworn by Kojo Ansah Mensah, the dispute began in 2013 when Jonah Capital invited Paulo Homes Ltd into a joint venture to process building approvals. Under the agreement, Paulo Homes was to receive 30 per cent of the land it secured permits for.

However, the Ghanaians allege that Paulo Homes breached the terms, encroached on more land, and later accused them of forgery. Former partners Adrian Ogunmuyiwa and John Townley-Johnson, who had previously relinquished their interests to Jonah Capital, also resurfaced with forgery allegations.

These claims were part of the initial investigation handled by the SIP, which found no evidence warranting criminal charges. Despite the SIP’s report, Paulo Homes, through its general manager, Giles Azania, submitted a new petition to the IGP on April 10, 2025, demanding another investigation into the same forgery allegations. The IGP Monitoring Unit reportedly began a fresh, inconclusive investigation while continuing to withhold the earlier report.