Concerned Citizens for Justice and Economic Freedom, a Ghanaian civil society group, staged a peaceful protest at the Nigerian High Commission in Accra today, demanding immediate action from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and top Nigerian authorities over what they describe as targeted harassment and intimidation of Ghanaian businesses operating in Nigeria.
The protest, which ended with the presentation of a formal petition to the High Commissioner, focused on the plight of Jonah Capital Nigeria Ltd. and Mobus Property Nigeria Ltd.—firms led by Ghanaian statesman Sir Samuel Esson Jonah and his executives, including Mr. Kojo Ansah and Mr. Victor Quainoo.
In the petition addressed to President Tinubu through the Nigerian High Commission, the group accused Nigerian law enforcement agencies—including the Inspector General of Police Olukayode Egbetokun, FCT Commissioner of Police CP Ajao Saka Adewale, and EFCC officials—of intimidation, gun violence, and harassment of Ghanaian workers and executives involved in the River Park Estate project in Abuja.
According to the petition, Ghanaian staff at the Abuja-based development have been beaten, shot at, and had their vehicle tyres destroyed by security operatives allegedly acting on private interests. The incidents, including one during a visit by Ghana’s Foreign Minister on April 5, 2025, were described as part of a broader campaign of intimidation backed by rogue security personnel in a land dispute with Paulo Homes Ltd.
“These actions not only violate the basic human rights of Ghanaians doing lawful business in Nigeria but also threaten the spirit of regional diplomacy between our two countries,” the petition reads.
The protest comes just days after Ghanaian investors, led by Sir Samuel Jonah, filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking ₦200 million in damages and a release of a Special Investigation Panel (SIP) report compiled by the Nigeria Police in 2024. The plaintiffs accuse the police and EFCC of deliberately withholding the report, which they claim cleared them of any wrongdoing in the River Park Estate land dispute.
The Concerned Citizens group demanded that:
1. The Nigerian Inspector General of Police immediately release the certified true copy of the SIP report.
2. All individuals involved in the intimidation and harassment, including law enforcement officers, be investigated and prosecuted.
3. The Nigerian High Commission in Ghana formally communicates Ghana’s concerns to the Nigerian government.
4. Immediate steps be taken to protect Ghanaian businesses and ensure their right to operate freely in Nigeria.
The petition further highlighted the irony that Nigerian businesses—including banks like Zenith, UBA, GTBank, and fintechs such as Flutterwave—operate freely and successfully in Ghana, while Ghanaians in Nigeria face what they called systemic hostility.
“We only ask for fairness and equal treatment,” the group’s convener stated after submitting the petition. “Nigerians are thriving in Ghana; Ghanaians deserve the same respect in Nigeria.”
The Nigerian High Commission acknowledged receipt of the petition but has yet to issue a formal response. Meanwhile, diplomatic observers and regional trade experts are urging calm and calling for urgent high-level engagement to defuse rising tensions between the two ECOWAS member states.
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