In a disturbing turn of events, Omerere was advised by a Ghana High Commission official to "go to Nigeria and get her original birth certificate or swear to an affidavit of birth in Nigeria".
The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has delivered a landmark judgment against the Republic of Ghana, awarding ₦21 million in damages to a Ghanaian citizen who was wrongfully denied renewal of her passport and prevented from entering her country of birth.
The Court ruled on June 23, 2026, in the case of Mary Omerere v. Republic of Ghana (Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/25/25), finding that Ghanaian authorities violated the applicant's fundamental rights, including her right to freedom of movement and her right to nationality.
A Citizen Rendered Stateless
Mary Omerere, born Mary Efai Osei Ayree in Ashaiman, Ghana on January 1, 1989, is a Ghanaian citizen by birth. She was issued a birth certificate and a passport in 2018, confirming her nationality.
