A 47-year-old Nigerian and her son who attempted to acquire Ghanaian passport with their Ghana cards at the Accra Passport Application Centre, have been fined and jailed. 

Obafemi Jephthah Kojo Shoga, a designer and the first accused person, apparently needed a passport to join his father in Canada. Shoga’s mother Latifat Raji, a Nigerian (the second accused person) was exposed when she appeared to testify during the passport acquisition, according to prosecutors. 

Shoga was ordered by the Madina District Court to pay a fine of GHC,6,000 in default serve five months and he was additionally to serve a month imprisonment. 

Shoga’s mother, Latifat Raji, was sentenced to a fine of GHC2,400 or in default serve a month imprisonment and additionally she was to serve a month in jail. 

Shoga was charged with attempting to obtain a Ghanaian passport by false declaration, making false representation in connection with an obligation imposed on him and obtaining for yourself a Ghanaian National Identity Card by false declaration. 

Shoga’s mother Raji was charged for obtaining a Ghanaian National Identity Card by false declaration and remaining in Ghana without permit. 

They pleaded guilty before the court. 

The case of the prosecution led by Chief Superintendent of Immigration Adolf Aboagye- Asenso is that Shoga is a 26-year-old Nigerian and a fashion designer and Raji is the mother of Shoga. 

Prosecution said the accused persons, now convicts, were arrested at the Accra Passport Application Centre, near Tema Station, while Shoga was undergoing the process of acquiring a Ghanaian passport. 

It said officials were suspicious of double nationality and they were therefore referred to National Enforcement Section at the Ghana Immigration Service headquarters for further investigations. 

Prosecution said on the birth certificate of Shoga, he claimed to be a Ghanaian born to a Ghanaian mother, Latifat Raji. 

It said further investigations revealed that Shoga is Nigerian born at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra to one Olujimi Shoga, a Nigerian, but resident in Canada and Raji also a Nigerian. 

Prosecution held that information on the Ghana Birth Certificate was fake. 

It said Shoga indicated that he wanted the Ghanaian passport because he qualified as a Ghanaian by virtue of him being born in Ghana and also, he wanted to join his father in Canada. 

According to prosecution, Shoga therefore acquired for himself a Ghana card with number GHA-712721683-5 during the year 2019 mass registration exercise and false declared that his mother was a Ghanaian on his birth certificate. 

“He completed an online passport application form and booked an appointment date to appear in person to go through the final process.” 

Prosecution said Shoga called Raji during the vetting who came to testify that Shoga was her son and a Ghanaian because she gave birth to him at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. 

“Further investigations revealed that Raji (A2) has also acquired for herself a Ghana Card with entry number GHA-712702695-5 in the year 2019. She came to Ghana sometime in the year 1996 from Canada and has since remained without any Immigration permit,” prosecution added.