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The Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocacy Foundation, also known as the Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocacy (ARRA), has raised serious concerns over reports of targeted protests, looting, and destruction of businesses owned by Nigerian immigrants in Ghana. The non-governmental organisation (NGO) described the incidents as grave violations of fundamental human rights and a breach of both national and international legal protections.

In a strongly worded statement signed by Dr. Okey James Ezugwu, a legal practitioner, retired Assistant Comptroller General of Immigration Service, and Founder and Executive Director of ARRA, the foundation declared that all countries have a binding duty to uphold the rights of immigrants within their borders, consistent with constitutional guarantees, international treaties, and regional agreements.

Dr. Ezugwu cautioned that the recent spate of mob actions and intimidation not only endangers the safety of Nigerians in Ghana but also undermines regional integration, human dignity, and the rule of law across West Africa.

“What we are witnessing in Ghana is a disturbing pattern of xenophobic aggression, economic intimidation, and deliberate destruction of livelihoods — acts that have no place in a modern, law-governed society,” he said. “Immigrants, regardless of nationality, are entitled to protection under the host country’s constitution, as well as international instruments to which Ghana is a signatory.”

ARRA underscored that Ghana’s 1992 Constitution guarantees all persons within its jurisdiction the right to life, personal security, property, equality before the law, and freedom from discrimination. It stressed that the recent mob violence, which saw the looting and destruction of Nigerian-owned shops, amounts to unlawful deprivation of property, targeted discrimination, and violations of due process.

The foundation further pointed out that Nigerian immigrants are explicitly protected under the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment, which affirms the rights of citizens of member states to enter, reside, and establish businesses in other ECOWAS countries without fear of arbitrary expulsion, harassment, or collective punishment. These protections, ARRA added, are reinforced by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantees property rights, non-discrimination, and security of person.

“It is irrelevant whether some individuals are accused of unlawful conduct — such matters must be handled through lawful arrest, fair trial, and due process, not mob justice or collective reprisals,” Dr. Ezugwu noted. “Failure to prevent, investigate, and punish such acts of violence not only emboldens perpetrators but also exposes the state to international responsibility.”

ARRA therefore called on the Government of Ghana to take urgent, visible, and decisive steps to forestall further attacks on Nigerian-owned businesses and residences. It demanded the prosecution of those responsible for the violence, the compensation of victims for lost property and livelihoods, and strict adherence to ECOWAS treaty obligations.

The NGO also urged the Government of Nigeria to intensify diplomatic efforts, extend legal assistance and emergency relief to affected citizens, and put in place stronger mechanisms for rapid response to threats against Nigerians abroad.

“African leaders must move beyond rhetoric. We need proactive, institutional measures to ensure that no immigrant — whether a refugee, asylum seeker, or regular migrant — lives in fear for their safety or livelihood. The protection of immigrants is not charity; it is a legal obligation under binding treaties,” Dr. Ezugwu concluded.

ARRA further appealed to African Union leaders, ECOWAS authorities, and the United Nations system to closely monitor developments in Ghana and provide technical and policy support to both Nigeria and Ghana in addressing the root causes of anti-immigrant sentiment.