The Madina District Court II has convicted and sentenced two Nigerian nationals for attempting to fraudulently register for the Ghana Card using false information and forged documents.
The convicts, Isaac Ike, also known as Alex Kwesi Brown Appiah, aged 20, and Emmanuel Innocent Egbe, also known as Innocent Emmanuel Kodom, aged 24, were found guilty on two counts , providing false information to National Identification Authority (NIA) officials and possessing forged documents.
The offences contravene Section 40(1)(a) of the National Identity Register Act, 2008 (Act 750) and Section 166 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Presiding judge Her Worship Susana Nyakotey sentenced both men to 12 months’ imprisonment for providing false information and 13 months for possessing forged documents, with the sentences to run concurrently.
The court also ordered that the convicts be deported to Nigeria upon completion of their jail terms. They have since been transferred to the Nsawam Prisons Authority to begin serving their sentences.
The National Identification Authority (NIA) in a statement commended the Ghana Police Service, the CID Unit attached to the NIA, the Office of the Attorney-General, and other partners for their collaboration in ensuring a successful prosecution.
The Authority said the conviction underscores its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the Ghana Card registration process, which it described as “the single credible source of identity for all lawful residents.”
It further cautioned the public that offences such as providing false information, impersonation, or using forged documents during registration are serious crimes punishable under Ghanaian law.
“The NIA remains steadfast in working with security and judicial agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute offenders,” the statement added.
