The Circuit Court at Dansoman, Accra, presided over by Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of seven Nigerian nationals accused of using false information to secure Ghana National Identification Cards.
The accused, identified as Ibrahim Mohammed, Danjuma Yakubu, Abubakar Saidu, Abubakar Muktar, Abubakar Nuru, Abubakar Rabiu Muhammed, and Abubakar Lawal, failed to appear before the court on July 30, 2025.
Their absence led the prosecution, represented by Chief Inspector Portia Nuarko, to apply for their immediate arrest, arguing that the men had intentionally stayed away from court despite being fully aware of the scheduled hearing.
After reviewing the prosecution’s submissions and the nature of the allegations, the judge granted the request, ordering that a bench warrant be issued for the arrest of all the accused.
The seven are facing two counts: providing false information to National Identification officials in contravention of Section 40(1)(a) of the National Register Act, 2008 (Act 750), and defrauding by false pretences under Section 131 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
According to court records, the incident took place on July 14, 2025, when the accused allegedly visited the National Identification Authority (NIA) office at Ayawaso East to apply for Ghana Cards using falsified documents and personal details.
The complainant, Eric Ewudzie Arthur, an Assistant Administrative Officer at the NIA Ayawaso East Centre, detected irregularities in their applications and promptly notified the police.
Officers responded swiftly, arresting the seven men at the NIA premises and seizing their application forms, supporting identification documents, and Oath of Identity forms.
Preliminary investigations revealed that they had entered Ghana only the previous day, July 13, 2025, and were lodging at a hotel without any known relatives or fixed residence in the country.
During interrogation, the accused allegedly admitted to providing false details in their applications and in their statements to investigators.
They were charged and brought before the Dansoman Circuit Court but are now considered fugitives following their failure to appear for trial.
Police are expected to pursue efforts to locate and bring them before the court.
