Nigerian Sentenced to 12 Months in Ghana for Identity Fraud to Obtain Passport
The Tema District Court has sentenced Mohammed Ogbona, a 32-year-old Nigerian factory worker, to 12 months’ imprisonment with hard labour for attempting to fraudulently obtain a Ghanaian passport, alongside charges of unlawful entry and acquiring a Ghanaian birth certificate and National Identification Card through false declarations.
Presiding Judge Benedicta Antwi also fined Ogbona 200 penalty units (GH¢2,400) for each count of false declaration, following his guilty plea.
Ogbona, alias Mohammed Alhassan, was arrested on June 16, 2025, at the Tema Passport Application Centre after raising suspicions during his passport application. He claimed to be a Ghanaian born at Tema General Hospital to parents Alhassan Varga and Rose Tetteh but failed to provide evidence or locate them. Investigations revealed he was born in Enugu State, Nigeria, to John and Rosemary Ogbona, with no record at Tema General Hospital. Inspector Laud Segbefia, the prosecutor, told the court that Ogbona sought the passport to travel to the United Kingdom for better opportunities.
Further probes uncovered that Ogbona entered Ghana illegally via an unauthorized route near the Aflao border without travel documents. He engaged an agent to secure a fraudulent birth certificate (entry number 774) and Ghana Card (ID number GHA-730706520-0) before applying for the passport online. The prosecution, highlighting the rising trend of identity fraud, urged a custodial sentence to deter others.
The case, reported by Graphic Online and discussed on X by users like @GHOneTV, underscores Ghana Immigration Service’s crackdown on fraudulent documentation. Ogbona’s conviction aligns with recent efforts to strengthen border security and identity verification, as emphasized by Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak during a July 29, 2025, event.
