A Tema District Court has sentenced a Nigerian national, Mohammed Ogbona, also known as Mohammed Alhassan, to 12 months in prison with hard labour for attempting to unlawfully acquire a Ghanaian passport.
Ogbona faced multiple charges, including unlawful entry into Ghana and the illegal acquisition of a Ghanaian birth certificate and National Identification Card. He pleaded guilty to all charges.
Presiding Judge, Madam Benedicta Antwi, convicted him and imposed fines of 200 penalty units (GH¢2,400.00) each for attempting to obtain a Ghanaian passport and a National ID through false declarations. In default of payment, he will serve six months in prison with hard labour.
For securing a Ghanaian birth certificate under false pretences, he was sentenced to another 12 months’ imprisonment, along with a fine of 400 penalty units (GH¢4,800.00), or three months’ imprisonment if he fails to pay.
An additional fine of 50 penalty units (GH¢600.00) was also imposed, with one month’s imprisonment in default. The court ordered that all sentences run concurrently.
According to the prosecution, led by Inspector Jerry Foster Segbefia with support from ASI Gillian Biney, Ogbona, a 32-year-old factory worker at Cimaf Cement, was arrested on June 16, 2025, at the Tema Passport Application Centre. His arrest followed suspicions regarding the authenticity of his identity during the passport application process.
Ogbona had claimed to be a Ghanaian named Mohammed Alhassan, allegedly born at Tema General Hospital to Ghanaian parents—Alhassan Varga, a former military officer, and Rose Tetteh. However, he failed to provide evidence or lead investigators to his supposed parents.
Subsequent investigations confirmed that Ogbona was actually born in Enugu State, Nigeria, to John and Rosemary Ogbona, and had no birth records at Tema General Hospital.
“He intended to use the Ghanaian passport to travel to the United Kingdom in search of better opportunities,” Inspector Segbefia told the Court.
The investigation also revealed that Ogbona had engaged the services of an agent to forge documents and create a false Ghanaian identity. This included obtaining a birth certificate (entry number 774), a Ghana Card (ID number GHA-730706520-0), and booking an online passport application under the assumed identity.
It was also uncovered that he had entered Ghana illegally through an unapproved route near the Aflao border, bypassing immigration procedures and without valid travel documents.
The prosecution, citing a rising trend of such fraudulent activities, called for a custodial sentence to serve as a strong deterrent to others.
