The Atasemanso Circuit Court in Ghana has sentenced three Nigerians Francis Friday, Linus Agwazie, and Russell Ekenze to a combined 96 years in prison for their role in vehicle theft across Kumasi.
The ruling comes amid growing concerns in Ghana over the involvement of some Nigerians in criminal activities.
According to the Ghana Police Service, the trio had been targeting parked vehicles before their arrest on June 20, 2025.
Police spokesperson Godwin Ahianyo confirmed in a statement that the men faced multiple trials in different courts, which led to the heavy sentencing.
On July 22, the suspects were arraigned before the Atasemanso Circuit Court.
Ekenze pleaded guilty and received 10 years in prison with hard labour, while Friday and Agwazie pleaded not guilty.
The following day, Circuit Court 3 found both men guilty and sentenced them to eight years each on two counts, with the terms running concurrently.
The case did not end there. On July 23, Circuit Court 1 heard additional charges against all three men.
They were each handed 20 years in prison with hard labour on two counts, with sentences also running concurrently.
Finally, on July 24, Circuit Court 2 convicted Ekenze again on separate charges and gave him an additional 10 years in prison, also to run concurrently.
By the end of the trials, the three Nigerians had accumulated prison sentences amounting to 96 years.
They are now serving their terms at the Kumasi Central Prison.
This latest conviction comes after several reports linking Nigerians to crimes in Ghana.
In May, a 32-year-old Nigerian woman, Patience Gold, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Tarkwa Circuit Court for trafficking four women, including one who is HIV-positive, into prostitution.
Similarly, in July, the Ghana Immigration Service arrested 50 Nigerians during a raid in McCarthy Hills, Accra.
They were accused of cyber fraud and human trafficking.
The rise in such cases has fueled tension and dented Nigeria’s image abroad.
Ghanaians have repeatedly expressed concerns over the activities of some Nigerian nationals, while authorities in both countries face pressure to act decisively.
The conviction of Friday, Agwazie, and Ekenze serves as another reminder of Ghana’s strict stance on crime.
It also highlights the damaging impact of criminal involvement by Nigerians abroad, which continues to draw negative attention to the country and its citizens.
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