Accra, May 14, 2024 — A confrontation erupted between Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) security personnel and officers from the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) at the Maritime Processing Station (MPS) yesterday evening, resulting in a chaotic altercation.
At approximately 20:00 hours, a group of 12 GPHA security officers entered the GIS office at MPS to question Inspector Benjamin Nketia and Assistant Immigration Control Officer II (AICO II) Clement Boadu following a misunderstanding during routine vessel checks on the MSC DYMPHNA.
The incident began around 19:35 hours when GPHA security requested to search the GIS officers after their work on the vessel. Inspector Nketia permitted a search of their bags but refused personal searches, citing that a male officer should not search a female officer under any circumstance. This decision led to a heated exchange of insults and physical harassment between the two groups.
The situation escalated when the group of GPHA security officers attempted to arrest Inspector Nketia and AICO II Boadu in their office, which was met with strong resistance from the GIS officers. The altercation resulted in chaos and the tearing of AICO II Boadu’s uniform, although no property was reported damaged.
Authorities from both institutions have yet to issue formal statements regarding the incident, but it underscores ongoing tensions between security and immigration officials at the port. Further investigations are expected to clarify the sequence of events and address the underlying issues.
