Aminata Bangoura Locks Herself in Airport Toilet to Resist Deportation to Guinea, Lawyer Says

• Ghanaian lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor said his client Aminata Bangoura was moved from Cantonments police station to the airport at 7am without a court order
• Bangoura, a Belgian citizen and former partner of a senior Guinean general, was arrested in Ghana on an Interpol Red Notice and says her life is in danger
• Barker-Vormawor said he contacted European authorities over the attempted deportation and had been waiting at Interpol since morning seeking an audience with the director

Aminata Bangoura, a Belgian citizen facing deportation to Guinea, locked herself inside a toilet at Kotoka International Airport on Tuesday morning to resist removal from Ghana, her lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor has revealed.

Barker-Vormawor, a prominent Ghanaian lawyer and activist, posted on X that Bangoura was transferred from Cantonments police station to the airport at 7am without any court order authorising her deportation. She subsequently barricaded herself in an airport toilet and refused to leave unless her lawyer was present.

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Bangoura's background and arrest

Bangoura was arrested at approximately 5am on August 5 upon arrival in Ghana from Paris, after Guinea placed her on an Interpol Red Notice. She is the former partner of Brigadier General Amara Camara, Minister of State and Secretary-General of the Presidency of Guinea, with whom she shares two children.

According to Barker-Vormawor, the relationship ended bitterly, and Bangoura had threatened to expose information she held about the general. She subsequently fled Guinea alongside her siblings, fearing for her safety. Ghanaian authorities were informed upon her arrest that she intended to apply for political asylum in Ghana, citing the danger she faced if returned to Guinea.

Barker-Vormawor said he spent the morning at Interpol's offices in Ghana attempting to secure a meeting with the director, without success. He also said he had reached out to European authorities, given that Bangoura holds Belgian citizenship, to flag what he described as an attempted deportation conducted without due process.

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"The persons insists her life is in danger; based on her relationship with Brigadier General Amara Camara," Barker-Vormawor wrote on X.

"What would prevent us from according the person the minimum due process? Does any of our human rights obligations both domestic and international mean anything to us?"

The Twitter post shared by Oliver Barker-Vormawor about Aminata Bangoura is below.

Public reaction to Amina Bangoura's case

The case drew swift criticism on social media, with many Ghanaians questioning how authorities handled the matter.

@IamFergurson wrote:

"Ghana 🇬🇭 paaaa de3 Somebody says his life is in danger yet you want to deport her awww God ! Why ?"

@kwakuyeboah22 said:

"This is heart breaking. What a nation. The person seeking for asylum that means nothing. When I saw your first tweet on this matter I knew we will get here. All that our leaders care about is pleasing their colleague politicians."

@Abiamka_GH asked:

"Why is Ghana always in hurry to extradite or deport people when we don't have that in return from other countries."

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@Nickyn3hga questioned:

"Is the president and foreign minister even aware of this"

Oliver Barker-Vormawor reacts to Abu Trica's extradition

Previously, YEN.com.gh shared details about Oliver Barker-Vormawor's reaction to the controversial extradition of his client, Abu Trica, to the United States.

Amidst strong accusations of obstructed legal access, Barker-Vormawor's impassioned plea highlighted a chilling echo of past legal injustices in Ghana.

Source: YEN.com.gh