The National Identification Authority (NIA) has arrested a Togolese woman at Teshie in Accra for questioning following a viral video in which she claimed to have obtained a Ghana Card ahead of many Ghanaians.
The woman was picked up by the NIA’s Internal Criminal Investigations Department (CID), working in collaboration with the Ghana Immigration Service, as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged issuance of the identity card.
In the video circulating on social media, the woman identified herself as a Togolese national and appeared to boast about securing the Ghana Card before many Ghanaian citizens.
“My Ghana Card—I got it before many Ghanaians,” she said, adding that she also possessed a voter’s card and other identification documents.
Her comments generated public reactions, with concerns being raised about the processes used to verify applicants’ identities and determine their eligibility for Ghanaian identification documents.
When questioned about how she obtained the card despite claiming to be a Togolese national, she challenged the officials who handled her registration.
”Ask the people who did the Ghana Card for me, the time I mentioned my name; didn’t they know I’m not a Ghanaian?” she asked.
She further suggested that the issuance resulted from an error by the registration officials, stating: “They made a mistake [of giving her a Ghana card].”
The woman is currently assisting investigators as the NIA and the Ghana Immigration Service seek to establish how she obtained the card and whether there were any irregularities in the registration process.
The development has renewed attention on the integrity of Ghana’s national identification system and the safeguards governing the registration of citizens and foreign nationals.
Under the NIA’s registration framework, legally and permanently resident foreign nationals are eligible to obtain a Non-Citizen Ghana Card, which is distinct from the identity card issued to Ghanaian citizens.
The authority’s guidelines also require applicants seeking a citizen Ghana Card to provide evidence of Ghanaian citizenship through the prescribed registration procedures.
Investigations are expected to establish whether the woman was issued a citizen Ghana Card or a Non-Citizen Ghana Card and whether any officials breached the required procedures.
The NIA has reiterated its commitment to protecting the integrity and credibility of Ghana’s national identification system.
