Muntaka Exposes 102 Illegal Border Routes In Volta

The government has issued a stark national security alert after mapping more than one hundred unauthorised entry points in the Volta Region alone, exposing critical gaps in Ghana’s frontier surveillance. The disclosure was made during a parliamentary briefing on Tuesday.

Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak told lawmakers that while Ghana maintains forty-eight legitimate crossing points, the sheer volume of unapproved routes presents a formidable challenge to enforcement. “We have 48 legitimate crossing points into our country,” Mr Mubarak said, adding, “But the illegitimate ones, because of the time, to make sure that we secure our borders. We are shocked to realise that the last time I was in the Volta Region alone, we’ve identified 102 unapproved routes.”

Security experts warn that such porous corridors facilitate transnational organised crime, arms smuggling, human trafficking and the illicit movement of contraband. The proliferation effectively nullifies efforts at ports of entry, allowing networks to bypass customs, immigration and intelligence checks with minimal detection. The logistical burden on security agencies is therefore both structural and acute.

The Volta frontier has long been vulnerable due to its topography, cross-border kinship ties, and limited personnel deployment. Previous interventions have focused on fortifying official posts, but the emergence of a sprawling web of informal paths suggests that ad hoc policing is insufficient. Analysts argue for integrated border management, combining technology, community engagement and regional cooperation.

Mr Mubarak’s testimony underscores a policy pivot toward data-driven deployment and risk mapping. The Ministry is expected to prioritize surveillance drones, biometric checkpoints, and joint patrols with neighboring states to interdict movements before they penetrate the interior. Without such measures, officials concede, revenue leakage and security threats will persist.

The revelation reframes border security as a governance crisis, not merely a manpower problem. The next phase will determine whether Ghana can convert intelligence into infrastructure, and political will into territorial control.

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Source: Parliamentary Assurances Committee news report
Author: Korkor Anumu