Mensah Bonsu nabbed in $1.5m Ghana Embassy property scandal in Nigeria

Bright Mensah Bonsu, the man at the centre of a controversial $1.5 million sale of a diplomatic property belonging to Ghana’s High Commission in Nigeria, has been arrested by Ghanaian security authorities.

Bonsu, who described himself as a special aide to the late Alhaji Rashid Bawa, Ghana’s former High Commissioner to Nigeria under the Akufo-Addo administration, is accused of receiving a cash payment and signing documents to unlawfully transfer ownership of the Lagos-based beachfront property.

The arrest comes amid heightened public scrutiny and mounting pressure on government to unravel the full extent of the scandal.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, April 15, Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, revealed that the $1.5 million received was never deposited into any official government account.

“There is no record at the Ministry confirming that the funds were ever formally declared,” Ablakwa stated, describing the transaction as a grand conspiracy that not only undermines state assets but also threatens Ghana’s international image.

According to the Minister, documents retrieved indicate that the property was valued at $5.3 million, and the $1.5 million payment was considered only a first instalment. “The outcome of the 2024 elections must have thwarted their plans,” he added.

Ablakwa further disclosed that investigations are underway to determine how Bonsu was issued a diplomatic passport in October 2023 by the previous Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, despite not being a staff member of either the Foreign Ministry or the Ghana High Commission in Nigeria.

“Even though he was often seen in the company of the High Commissioner, Bright Mensah Bonsu was not officially employed at either institution,” the Minister emphasized.

He also hinted at possible prosecutions, stressing that Bonsu claims he acted under the instructions of higher authorities, and that those individuals granted him access to sensitive diplomatic documents.

Assuring the Nigerian government and the would-be buyer, Ablakwa reaffirmed that the Mahama administration will ensure justice is served. “No one involved in this crime will be shielded. We will recover the US$1.5 million and protect Ghana’s image abroad.”

He concluded with a stern warning: “Let me state for the umpteenth time—no diplomatic property belonging to the people of Ghana is for sale. Severe consequences await anyone who tests our resolve.”