Forty-one Burkina Faso nationals were on Monday night intercepted, after they attempted to flee Ghana to their home country.

They were arrested at an inland border checkpoint at Babile, in the Lawra Municipality of the Upper West Region at about 07:30hrs, the Ghana Immigration Service said.

They include 14 males aged between 20 and 50 years; 21 females also aged between 20 and 30 years and 6 children between the ages of 2 and 5.

The suspects were onboard two Sprinter buses from Sampa in the Bono Region —where they live as cashew farmers— to their home country.

Public Affairs Officer of the Upper West Regional sect of the service, ICO Ibn Yussif Duranah Abdul-Mumin Seidu said the foreigners were arrested upon a tip-off.

“The intent was that they wanted to swerve the Immigration, in order to access unapproved routes back into Burkina Faso; unfortunately on their part we caught them”, the Public Affairs Director said.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS), the Immigration Officer indicated, were housed for some preliminary screening concerning their health status.

“According to them they are cashew farmers and currently as we speak they are onboard same buses on their way to Wa and to be escorted by officers back to Sampa”, he explained adding that: “the health personnel will take charge when they arrive since it is a health-related issue”.

ICO Abdul-Mumin, however, appealed to residents leaving along border communities to provide credible information to arrest such suspects.

He further warned that citizens who harbour such suspects will be dealt with according to law.

17 Burkina Faso nationals deported

Following the closure of Ghana’s borders to curb the spread of the COVID-19 disease, the Ghana Immigration Service multiple attempts by some citizens and foreigners to flout the directive.

Upper West Regional sect of the service for instance arrested and deported 17 Burkina Faso nationals who attempted to enter the country.

The deportees included six women and 11 men aged between 20 and 40 years.

Ghana’s COVID-19 case count currently stands at 566 with eight deaths.