'Not all of us are criminals' - Nigerians in Ghana cry out

Over the years, Nigerians have been tagged as lawless, notorious, and fraudulent in Nigeria and other parts of the world because of the involvement of some members of their community in various criminal activities.

This bad name has affected the country and law-abiding citizens in the diaspora.

MyNigeria TV engaged some members of the Nigerian community in Ghana, and according to them, they are in the country to make an honest living.

They encouraged locals to treat them with respect and be given the needed opportunities to thrive.

Ike, a phone seller at Kwame Nkrumah Circle stated that it is unfair, that the 'bad nuts' in their country are making Ghanaians see all of them in a bad light.

"Normally, I don't feel okay with it, and I don't feel comfortable with it because whatever affects a nation also affects the individual. Whatever is affecting the country, Nigeria is also affecting me. It's like a family, if your family has a bad name, even if you are the good one in the family, it will affect you in your area of life. A lot of Nigerians are not doing well when they leave the country and it is affecting the people doing legal businesses."

Another Nigerian mobile case seller added that many Nigerians who come into the country are indeed involved in internet fraud because Ghanaians are not receptive to them when they come here to do legal work, but that is not the case for all of them.

"The matter is not really helping us at all because you as a Nigerian, before you get a job here, it's not easy, because of so many things that are going on. Most Nigerians here are usually doing 'yahoo yahoo' because things are not easy," he said.

Abaeze, a father of two stated that he feels Ghanaians genuinely hate Nigerians, and for that reason, they are the first community to be pointed at anytime there is a criminal activity.

"We are one family; Ghana and Nigeria are one family, but the way I'm seeing things now, I am not happy. What I am seeing now is; Ghanaians hate Nigerians," he lamented.

According to Chibuike, Nigerians are good businessmen, good scholars, and good all-around, so they should be treated as such.

"Blacks don't love themselves. Anything that happens here, killing or whatever, they say it's Nigerians. Let them stop it. It's not like individually, we have any error, but it is the name from the federal that is affecting us all. But the individuals, we are perfectly good, good in business, and good in everything," he said.

A Nigerian laptop seller in circle also added his voice by saying that indeed, Nigerians in Ghana are doing legal businesses and are struggling to earn their daily bread.

He particularly voiced out his displeasure about the Ghanaian government closing down Nigerian shops, as he said it is one of the moves of Ghanaians to cripple them.

"I won't say that Nigerians are not doing any crime here, and I won't say they are doing. But, if truly they are doing, it doesn't mean that it is everybody that is a Nigerian that is doing that criminal activity. There are honest-hearted ones that are doing genuine business. A lot of Nigerians are here in circle hustling for their daily bread, but it is unfortunate that the Ghanaian government just closed Nigerian shops for no reason," he lamented.

Watch the video below: