Three Nigerians—Francis Friday, Linus Agwazie, and Russell Ekenze—have been sentenced to 96 years in Ghana for car theft in Kumasi, sparking renewed debate over Nigerian crime involvementKumasi, Ghana – September 2025
Three Nigerian nationals — Francis Friday, Linus Agwazie, and Russell Ekenze — have been sentenced to a combined 96 years in prison by a Ghanaian court for their roles in a car theft syndicate operating within the Kumasi Metropolis.

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Their sentencing, confirmed in a statement by Godwin Ahianyo, Head of the Ashanti Regional Police Public Affairs Unit, comes amid growing tensions over the alleged involvement of Nigerians in criminal activities across Ghana.

The trio was arrested on June 20, 2025, following investigations linking them to the theft of parked vehicles in various parts of Kumasi.

“They were suspected of targeting parked vehicles and stealing them for resale or disassembly,” the police statement read.

• Russell Ekenze, who pleaded guilty on July 22 at the Atasemanso Circuit Court, was immediately sentenced to 10 years in hard labour.
• Francis Friday and Linus Agwazie pleaded not guilty but were later found guilty on July 23 by Circuit Court 3. Each received 8 years imprisonment on two counts, with the sentences to run concurrently.

Further charges led to additional court proceedings:

•  On July 23, Circuit Court 1 sentenced all three men to 20 years each for additional offences — also to run concurrently.
•  On July 24, Ekenze was handed yet another 10-year sentence by Circuit Court 2, which will also run concurrently with his earlier conviction.

All three are currently serving their respective terms at Kumasi Central Prison.

The convictions come at a time when Ghanaian public sentiment is increasingly critical of Nigerians over reported involvement in cyberfraud, trafficking, and violent crimes.

Recent high-profile cases include:

•  In May, Patience Gold, a Nigerian woman, was sentenced to 20 years for trafficking four girls, including one living with HIV, into forced prostitution.
•  In July, 50 Nigerians were arrested by the Ghana Immigration Service during a raid in McCarthy Hills, Accra, for suspected cyberfraud and human trafficking.

While Ghanaian authorities insist on equal application of the law regardless of nationality, the spate of Nigerian-linked crimes has triggered backlash and protests in parts of the country.

The jailing of these Nigerians adds another layer of complexity to Ghana–Nigeria relations, which have experienced diplomatic strains in the past over trade disputes, immigration issues, and xenophobic tensions.

Public discourse in Ghana now increasingly calls for stricter immigration enforcement and greater scrutiny of foreign nationals, especially Nigerians.

Meanwhile, Nigerian authorities have urged the diaspora community to abide by host country laws, stressing the impact of criminal conduct on the country’s international reputation.

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