Deportees Withdraw Court Application Against Ghana
Accra ,Ghana – September 23,2025 - Eleven West African nationals deported from the United States have withdrawn their ex parte injunction application filed at the High Court in Accra, Ghana. The application sought to challenge their detention and subsequent repatriation. According to their lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, the deportees had no choice but to discontinue the case after being removed from Ghana.
The deportees, comprising nationals from Nigeria, Liberia, Togo, Gambia, and Mali, were among 14 West African immigrants deported by the US to Ghana under a controversial agreement. Eight of the deportees had previously been granted protection from removal by US immigration courts due to risks of persecution or torture in their home countries.
The deportees claimed they were secretly removed from US detention centers, shackled, and flown to Ghana without notice or explanation. Upon arrival, they alleged they were handed over to Ghanaian authorities and confined in a suspected military facility without access to due process or judicial oversight. They argued that their detention breached Ghana's 1992 Constitution, specifically Article 14(1) guaranteeing personal liberty and protection against arbitrary arrest.
Barker-Vormawor expressed disappointment with the deliberate delays within Ghana's justice system, which likely influenced the decision to withdraw the application. The deportees' lawyer hinted at exploring alternative avenues for redress, potentially at the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria.
Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, maintained that the deportees opted to return to their home countries voluntarily. However, the deportees and their lawyers contradicted this, stating that some remained detained in Ghana despite claims of repatriation.
Credit – Citi Newsroom
