High Commission Demolition: Nigeria accepts Ghana’s apology says perpetrators arrested

Nigeria has accepted the apology tendered by Ghana over the demolition of a building within the premises of the Nigerian High Commissioner in Accra.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, stated the government’s position in Abuja on Thursday, NAN reports.

Nigeria said it took note of the efforts of President Nana Akufo-Addo and Ghanaian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayokor Botchwey, to calm the situation.

But Onyeama expressed concerns that the perpetrators were unhindered and had a lot of time despite calls to the Ghanaian authorities by the Charge d’Affaires of the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana.

The minister said reports indicated that the security operatives who were on ground during the demolition, seemed to have been supportive of the demolition.

Onyeama, however, said the perpetrators had been arrested and arraigned in court, while Ghana had promised to rectify all the pending paper works that led to the misinformation of the Lands Commission in Ghana.

He said Ghana assumed “total responsibility and with the apology, have made it clear that they will be responsible for restitution – rebuilding the property to the state it was when it was destroyed.

“This is to say that the matter has been satisfactorily resolved and that at the very highest level as I mentioned, President Muhammadu Buhari personally engaged in this process.

Onyeama further announced that President Nana Akufo-Addo also apologised.

“We would like to put the matter to rest and to acknowledge the very speedy reaction of the Ghanaian government”.

The minister added: “We will now continue to further strengthen relations between our two countries, take lessons learnt from what has happened and move ahead without recriminations”.