Ghana's Detention of US Deportees Sparks Legal Battle
Accra, Ghana - September 18, 2025 - The Mahama administration is facing a lawsuit from 11 West African nationals who claim they were unlawfully detained after being deported from the United States. The applicants, hailing from Nigeria, Liberia, Togo, The Gambia, and Mali, argue that their detention breaches Ghana's 1992 Constitution, specifically Article 14(1), which guarantees personal liberty and protection against arbitrary arrest.
According to court documents, the applicants were secretly removed from US detention centers on September 5-6, 2025, shackled, and transported to Ghana without notice or explanation. Upon arrival, they claim to have been handed over to Ghanaian authorities and detained in a suspected military facility without due process or judicial oversight.
The deportees contend that their rights to administrative justice, due process, and non-refoulement have been disregarded. Notably, at least eight of the applicants had previously been granted "Withholding of Removal" or "Deferral of Removal" under the US Convention Against Torture (CAT), prohibiting their removal to their home countries due to risks of persecution, torture, or inhumane treatment.
The applicants have filed a writ for Habeas Corpus Ad Subjiciendum, requiring authorities to produce detained individuals before a court and justify their detention. They are also seeking an interim injunction to stop their deportation to their respective countries. The High Court in Accra (Labour Division) has scheduled September 23 to hear the two ex-parte applications.
The 11 applicants include Daniel Osas Aigbosa (Nigerian National), Kalu John (Liberian National), Zito Yao Bruno (Togolese National), Sidiben Dawda (Gambian National), Ahmed Animashaun (Nigerian National), Toure Dianke (Malian National), Taiwo K. Lawson (Nigerian National), Agouda Richarla (Togolese National), Oukpedzo Sikiratou (Togolese National), Boubou Gassama (Malian National), and Ifeanyi Okechukwu (Nigerian National).
The case highlights concerns about Ghana's adherence to human rights protocols and its obligations under international law.
The applicants are seeking enforcement of their fundamental human rights under Article 33(1) of the 1992 Constitution and are praying the court to afford them urgent and effective protection consistent with Ghana's constitutional and international obligations.
Source – Lead News Online/Emmanuel Kofi Ahadzi
