In a scene strikingly familiar to a dark chapter of West African history, a group of Ghanaians recently took to the streets, protesting the presence of Nigerians in their country.
Holding placards with inflammatory messages such as “Nigerians are kidnapping and using people for rituals” and “Our kids are getting missing because of Igbos,” the demonstrators demanded the expulsion of Nigerians, accusing them of fueling crime, prostitution, and economic domination.
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Among the placards were sweeping allegations linking Nigerians—particularly Igbos—to ritual killings, armed robbery, and market takeovers. One protester went as far as declaring:
“These Igbo, they are in every part of the country… It is just a matter of time; we will conquer them and take over our country.”
Another woman, her voice raised in anger, shouted:
“Nigerians must go because you can’t be in someone’s country and be doing anyhow. Nigerians must go.”
From Ghana must go to Nigeria must go.
Karma 😃pic.twitter.com/P1To5Zg67P
— Dallas (@vincentchidi6) July 28, 2025
This rhetoric, steeped in ethnic resentment and nationalist fervour, echoes events from four decades ago, only in reverse.
The 1983 mirror: When Ghana faced Nigeria’s fury
In January 1983, Nigeria’s then-President Shehu Shagari signed a sweeping executive order mandating the expulsion of over two million undocumented immigrants, most of whom were Ghanaians.
The official justification was economic protectionism and growing insecurity, many of the same grievances echoed in Accra today.
“Illegal immigrants… should not be given any notice whatsoever. If you break a law, then you have to pay for it,” Shagari declared.
Migrants were blamed for rising crime, economic competition, and social strain, especially as Nigeria reeled from an oil market downturn. Ghanaians were made the scapegoats, forced to pack their lives into checkered plastic bags and head home, many on foot.
These bags came to be known, ironically and infamously, as “Ghana Must Go”, a lasting symbol of exclusion and humiliation.
A bitter irony: Now the tables have turned
Fast forward to 2025, and Ghana appears to be channelling the same ethos Nigeria once imposed. The protests, fueled by viral videos and unfounded accusations, revive the same themes: foreign nationals “taking over,” “violating laws,” and “perpetrating evil.”
But the stark irony is this: Ghanaians who once bore the brunt of xenophobic expulsion are now at the helm of similar sentiments, demanding the removal of Nigerians. The protesters’ chants—“Nigeria must go!”—are a mirror image of what Nigerian mobs and media once directed at them.
In this case, Ghanaians are using accusations of “mass prostitution,” “ritual killings,” and even references to an “Igbo king in Ghana” to justify their hostility. This kind of ethnic profiling is a classic hallmark of xenophobia, often leading to mob violence and state complicity.
History has shown that once these sentiments take root, they rarely remain rhetorical. In South Africa, similar accusations against Nigerians turned into deadly pogroms. In Nigeria, the 1983 and 1985 expulsions left scars that still strain regional diplomacy. Ghana must tread carefully.
A warning from history
The 1983 expulsion of Ghanaians did not improve Nigeria’s economic crisis. Rather, it stained its international reputation and created lingering diplomatic tensions.
Similarly, today’s hostile rhetoric in Ghana risks escalating into violence, damaging regional ties, and undermining ECOWAS protocols on free movement, the very fabric of West African unity.
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The Ghanaian government’s silence on the protest so far is telling and dangerous. Without a clear condemnation or intervention, fringe groups may feel emboldened to act on their threats. The idea that “conquering them”—as one protester said—is even thinkable should be a national alarm bell.
Philip Ibitoye is a Special Correspondent with EKO HOT BLOG. Click here to find daily analysis and critical insight on trending issues in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
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