Security Analyst Adib Saani has alleged that immigration officers in the Northern part of Ghana patrol the country’s borders without any guns.
This, he said, endangers the lives of these officers and makes it impossible for the officers to stop criminals, including smugglers, who are crossing the borders of Ghana.
In a statement, Saani added that one immigration officer who was trying to stop smugglers recently was shot dead because he had no gun to protect himself.
“It is shocking that during these dangerous times, immigration officers patrolling the most unstable border zones at the Northern frontier of Ghana have no rifles. They patrol barehanded at the mercy of smugglers and probably terrorists. The few rifles available are mostly faulty and jam easily.
“Immigration officers are unable to confront smugglers who are sometimes armed. An officer was killed recently probably as a result,” portions of the statement read.
The security analyst further stated that the government must immediately act to ensure that officers who protect the country’s borders are well-armed, especially given the recent terrorist attacks in countries bordering Ghana.
“It is even more alarming owing to the modus operandi of terrorist activities in Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin. They usually attack border posts and inflict maximum damage on security personnel. So, if immigration officers are not armed, how do we expect them to protect Ghana or perhaps, defend themselves,” he said.
