?Police not targeting Nigerians?

THE Ministry of the Interior has denied that the law enforcement agencies in Ghana are targetting innocent and law-abiding Nigerians for harassment and persecution.

In a statement, the ministry also dismissed allegations made by Chris Ogbechie, a Nigerian murder suspect, that the Ghana Government is considering the expulsion of aliens from the country. It would be recalled that about a fortnight ago, Ogbechie held a press conference in Lagos during which he accused the Ghana Police Service of anti-Nigerian sentiments.

The statement made it clear that the law enforcement agencies will continue to abide by the letter and spirit of the ECOWAS treaty mindful of the brotherly ties between the peoples of the two countries. It explained, however, that the law enforcement agencies will not shirk their responsibility to apprehend persons who break the laws of Ghana regardless of their countries of origin. The statement expressed happiness at the fact that there are thousands of law-abiding Nigerians and citizens of other ECOWAS countries in Ghana who are going about their day-to-day activities in peace and freedom and only protected under the laws of Ghana.

In a related development, the Police Administration has denied that it is holding five Nigerians on trumped-up charge of murder. According to a statement issued in Accra yesterday, the five Nigerians were taken into custody by the CID for false imprisonment and attempted murder.

The statement said, "The Ghana Police categorically deny this allegation and wishes to state the following facts. "On December 11, 1999 five persons, all Nigerians, were taken into custody by the CID for false imprisonment and attempted murder. "This followed a complaint made to the Police by one Deborah Ibeh, who is also a Nigerian national living in Ghana.

?Investigations conducted by the CID shows that at about 2.30 am that day, Victor Ogwezzy lured Deborah Ibeh, a Nigerian lady, to his house at Asylum Down on the pretext that her friend Joyce, who was also his girl friend was ill and wanted to see her.

"When they got to Victor's residence, he locked her in a room on the 2nd floor and kept the key. Victor started calling his colleagues, who were hiding elsewhere in the building to come for action, bragging that he had managed to bring another victim".

"Deborah realised immediately that her life was in danger. She then, in a desperate mood, forced the door leading onto the back corridor of the second floor open. In a daring effort to save her life, she jumped from the balcony of the second floor onto the corridor of the first floor. She again managed to jump onto a foot-bridge that connects the main house to the out house. "She then jumped into a neighbouring house, climbed a ten-foot fence wall of the house and landed on the street. "A watchman across the street, who was watching and saw vividly the ordeal Deborah was going through, immediately went to her aid and gave her refuge.

"The suspects, realising that they had lost their victim, got into their car and in a frenzied mood, drove round the area looking for her. The watchman and Deborah watched their sinister activities from their hideout. The watchman, at day break, assisted Deborah to report her ordeal to the police. "It has been established that the five suspects are all employees of two companies: Contact Marketing Services (Gh) Limited and Media Monitoring (Gh) Limited owned by Chris Ogbechie and partners. ?Chris Ogbechie has been mentioned as an accomplice to the crime and is being wanted by the police to assist with the investigations. In an attempt to throw dust into the eyes of the Nigerian authorities, he has resorted to holding press conferences outside the country to make wild and baseless allegations instead of coming to Ghana to clear himself and also seek the welfare of his employees whose activities are under investigation. "It is clear, therefore, that the press conference by Ogbechie is a sinister ploy to whip up emotions and wily nilly put pressure on the Ghana Police to stop the investigations.

"The Police Administration wishes to state that a warrant has been obtained against Christ Ogbechie and the assistance of Interpol is being sought in this regard. The five suspects have been put before the Tribunal and granted court bail and ordered to report every Monday to the Police. Investigations still continue?, the statement concluded. ? GNA.