Court convicts Nigerian for acquiring Ghana Card with false information

A Nigerian national who acquired a Ghana national identification card (Ghana Card) by using false information has been convicted by the Asokore Mampong District Magistrate Court.

Usman Emmanuel, a resident of Sawaba in Kumasi was convicted on the offence of falsely providing information about himself contrary to section 17 (C) of the National Identification Authority Act 707 (Act 2006).

He has been sentenced to a fine of 250 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢3,000.00 or in default serve six months in prison.

A statement dated March 13, 2022, signed and issued by the acting Head of Corporate Affairs of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Abudu Abdul-Ganiyu, said the convict presented a Ghanaian birth certificate which enabled him to register for the Ghana Card.

According to NIA, the convict went through the registration and was at the point of being issued with the Ghana Card. It was at that point that he was detected to be a foreigner.

The convict was therefore handed over to the police for investigation.

Police investigations established that despite being in possession of a valid Ghanaian Birth Certificate, Usman Emmanuel was not a Ghanaian.

Usman Emmanuel was arraigned before the Asokore Mampong District Magistrate Court and was charged with the offence of falsely providing information about himself contrary to section 17 (C) of the National Identification Authority Act 707 (Act 2006).

At the end of the trial, the court found him guilty of the offence and was sentenced to a fine of 250 penalty units, equivalent to GHC 3,000.00 or in default 6 months imprisonment.