Ghana Court Jails Three Nigerians 96 Years for Vehicle Theft

The Atasemanso Circuit Court in Ghana has sentenced three Nigerians—Francis Friday, Linus Agwazie, and Russell Ekenze—to a combined 96 years in prison over their involvement in multiple car theft cases within the Kumasi Metropolis.

The judgment was contained in a statement released by the Head of the Public Affairs Unit of the Ashanti Regional Police, Godwin Ahianyo, on Tuesday. The conviction comes amid growing public protests in Ghana over the alleged involvement of some Nigerians in criminal activities.

According to police reports, the three men were arrested on June 20, 2025, after being linked to a series of vehicle thefts. They were first arraigned on July 22 before the Atasemanso Circuit Court. During the proceedings, Russell Ekenze pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years of hard labor, while Francis Friday and Linus Agwazie pleaded not guilty.

Their cases were transferred to Circuit Court 3 the following day, where both were found guilty and sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment each on two counts, to run concurrently.

The suspects were subsequently arraigned on additional charges across multiple courts. On July 23, all three were handed 20-year jail terms at Circuit Court 1 on two counts, to run concurrently. The next day, July 24, Ekenze was again convicted at Circuit Court 2 and given an additional 10 years, also to run concurrently with his earlier sentence.

With the combined convictions, the trio will serve a total of 96 years at the Kumasi Central Prison.

This latest case adds to a string of criminal incidents involving Nigerians in Ghana. In May, a Tarkwa Circuit Court sentenced 32-year-old Patience Gold to 20 years for trafficking four women, including an HIV-positive victim, for forced prostitution. Similarly, in July, 50 Nigerians were arrested by the Ghana Immigration Service for alleged cyberfraud and human trafficking during a coordinated security raid at McCarthy Hills in Accra.

The Ghanaian government has continued to intensify its crackdown on foreign nationals engaged in crime, but the recurring involvement of Nigerians in such cases has raised concerns about the country’s image abroad.