Felix Tih
June 22, 2020•Update: June 23, 2020
ANKARA
Ghana has "regretted" a recent attack on a residential building belonging to Nigeria's diplomatic mission in Accra.
Armed men raided the building in the Ghanaian capital Friday night, demolishing some under-construction apartments recently acquired by Nigerian High Commission.
A businessman is said to have accused the high commission of encroaching on his land.
Reacting to the attack, Ghana's Foreign Ministry in a statement reassured the diplomatic community in Ghana, and the Nigerian High Commission in particular, that it "remains a law abiding country that upholds the principle of the rule of law."
It said that investigations are ongoing "to unravel the facts," and that security has been beefed up at the said facility.
"The government will, therefore, not relent on its primary obligation to guarantee the safety of Members of the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana."
Nigeria’s foreign minister had condemned the attack in a statement on Sunday, calling for perpetrators to be brought to the book.
“We strongly condemn two outrageous criminal attacks in Accra, #Ghana, on a residential building in our diplomatic premises by unknown persons in which a bulldozer was used to demolish the building,“ Geoffrey Onyeama tweeted. “We are engaging the Ghanaian Government and demand urgent action to find the perpetrators and provide adequate protection for Nigerians and their property in Ghana."
Nigeria and Ghana are top economies in West Africa. Relations between the two former British colonies, however, remain contentious due to multiple issues including business competition.
