The Atasemanso Circuit Court sitting in Ghana has sentenced three Nigerians, Francis Friday, Linus Agwazie, and Russell Ekenze, to a combined jail term of 96 years for their involvement in car theft within the Kumasi Metropolis of the country.

PUNCH Metro learnt this from a statement signed by the Head of the Public Affairs Unit of the Ashanti Regional Police, Godwin Ahianyo, and obtained on Tuesday.

This is coming amidst a recent protest by Ghanaians over the involvement of Nigerians within the country in alleged criminal activities.

According to Ahianyo, the trio was arrested on June 20 following suspicions that they were involved in targeting and stealing parked vehicles.

According to the spokesperson, the trio was subsequently arraigned before the circuit court on July 22, but only Ekenze pleaded guilty to the charges pressed against him.

Ahianyo stated, “On July 22, 2025, the suspects Francis Friday, Linus Agwazie, and Russell Ekenze were arraigned before the Atasemanso Circuit Court.

“During proceedings, Russell Ekenze pleaded guilty to the charges and was immediately convicted and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in hard labour. The other two suspects, Francis Friday and Linus Agwazie, pleaded not guilty.

“Subsequently, on July 23, 2025, the cases of Francis Friday and Linus Agwazie were heard at Circuit Court 3, where both were found guilty and each was sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment on two counts, with the sentences to run concurrently.”

He added that the three suspects were further arraigned on additional charges in another court and were each sentenced to 20 years.

“On the same day, Circuit Court 1 also heard additional charges against all three suspects, resulting in 20-year IHL sentences each, also on two counts, and to run concurrently.

“Finally, on July 24, 2025, Russell Ekenze was further convicted at Circuit Court 2, receiving an additional 10-year IHL sentence on two counts, to run concurrently with his existing sentence.

“All three convicts, Francis Friday, Linus Agwazie, and Russell Ekenze, are currently serving their sentences at the Kumasi Central Prison,” the statement read.

Some Nigerians have been reported of allegedly committing crimes in Ghana in recent times.

In May, a Tarkwa Circuit Court sentenced a 32-year-old Nigerian woman, Patience Gold, to 20 years in prison for trafficking four young women, including one living with HIV for forced prostitution.

Similarly, in July, 50 Nigerians were arrested by the Ghana Immigration Service for alleged involvement in cyberfraud and human trafficking.

The suspects and the landlord of the property where the arrests took place were apprehended during a coordinated security operation at McCarthy Hills in the Ga South Municipality of Accra.

While the government of Ghana has continued to clamp down on foreign criminals, the involvement of Nigerians in crimes in foreign countries has continued to take a toll on the image of the country. (The PUNCH)