The government has issued a major national security alert after revealing that 102 unauthorized entry points have been identified in the Volta Region alone, exposing serious vulnerabilities along Ghana’s borders.
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, disclosed the figures when he appeared before Parliament’s Assurances Committee on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
Porous Borders Pose Major Challenge
The revelation underscores the growing difficulty security agencies face in policing Ghana’s extensive and porous frontiers against transnational organised crime, smuggling, and illicit trafficking.
Mr. Mubarak told the Committee that while Ghana officially operates 48 legitimate border crossing points, the number of unapproved routes far exceeds that capacity.
“We have 48 legitimate crossing points into our country,” the Minister said. “But the illegitimate ones… We are shocked to realise that the last time I was in the Volta Region alone, we’ve identified 102 unapproved routes.”
He explained that the sheer scale of these unofficial crossings presents a logistical nightmare for security services that are mandated to man official posts while also contending with a sprawling network of unregulated entry points.
Threat Not Limited to Volta
According to the Interior Minister, the problem is not peculiar to the Volta Region. Similar threats exist in other frontier regions including the Upper East, Upper West, Bono, and Western regions, all of which share long, undulating borders with neighbouring countries.
The Minister warned that if these unapproved routes are left unchecked, Ghana risks becoming a strategic transit hub for international criminal syndicates.
“If we don’t focus on trying to secure even these unapproved routes, what is going to simply happen is that we’ll become a transit point; they can use us as a transit point,” he cautioned.
He noted that by bypassing immigration and customs checkpoints, criminal networks can move prohibited items such as narcotics, arms, and contraband deep into the country without detection.
Layered Security Strategy Deployed
In response, government has adopted a layered security approach. Mr. Mubarak disclosed that 63 inland checkpoints have been established across the country to intercept smugglers and traffickers who manage to slip past border posts.
“As we speak, we have about 63 inland checkpoints,” he stated.
While acknowledging public frustration over delays and the high number of checkpoints, the Minister defended them as critical tools for intelligence gathering and disruption of criminal activity.
He urged personnel manning the posts to adopt a more professional and intelligence-led approach in order to minimize inconvenience to law-abiding travelers.
Beyond personnel and technology, Mr. Mubarak stressed that securing the borders will require the active involvement of border communities.
He called on citizens living along frontier areas to serve as the “eyes and ears” of security agencies by reporting suspicious movements and activities.
“Technology and personnel alone are insufficient,” he said. “We need the cooperation of the people. The communities must help us secure these borders.”
The Minister assured Parliament that the Ministry, in collaboration with the security agencies, is mapping all unapproved routes nationwide and developing targeted interventions to close the gaps and strengthen surveillance.
The Assurances Committee is expected to follow up on government’s plan to resource border operations, deploy technology such as drones and surveillance systems, and enhance inter-agency coordination to address the threat.
