Eleven West African nationals deported from the United States have withdrawn an ex parte injunction they filed at the High Court in Accra, challenging their detention and subsequent repatriation.
The injunction, filed days before their removal, sought to halt the deportation process and compel the state to present them in court for a determination of the legality of their confinement.
However, following their repatriation, the group’s lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, confirmed to Citi News that the case had been discontinued, noting his clients had no other option. He accused the justice system of deliberate delays that denied the deportees their fundamental rights.
Barker-Vormawor further indicated that the group now intends to seek redress at the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria, arguing that Ghana’s handling of the matter undermined due process.
Background
The deportees include four Nigerians (Daniel Osas Aigbosa, Ahmed Animashaun, Ifeanyi Okechukwu, and Taiwo K. Lawson), one Liberian (Kalu John), two Togolese (Zito Yao Bruno and Agouda Richarla Oukpedzo Sikiratou), one Gambian (Sidiben Dawda), and two Malians (Toure Dianke and Boubou Gassama).
They sued the Attorney-General, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service at the Human Rights Division of the High Court, claiming their rights were violated.
According to affidavits, they were forcibly removed from U.S. detention centres between September 5–6, 2025, shackled, and transported to Ghana without notice. Upon arrival, they were allegedly confined in a military facility without judicial oversight or access to legal recourse.
The applicants argued that their detention contravened Article 14(1) of Ghana’s Constitution (protection of personal liberty) and Article 23 (administrative justice). They also invoked the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of individuals to countries where they may face persecution or torture.
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