Ghana’s information ministry has denied reports that Nigerian citizens are being “harassed” in the country.

On Friday, Nigeria’s Information Minister Lai Mohammed had said Nigerians in Ghana were “being made… objects of ridicule”.

He cited the demolition of a diplomatic property in Ghana’s capital Accra in June, deportations of Nigerians and the closing of shops owned by Nigerians.

Ghana’s Information Minister Kojo Nkrumah said “the outline of issues by my Nigerian counterpart is not reflective of the developments in Ghana”.

The demolition of Nigeria’s property was not carried out by the government and was subject to a legal dispute, he said.

Regarding the deportation, the minister said those deported had been involved in criminal activities.

On the closing of shops, the Ghanaian government said the closures affected all shop owners without correct documentation and also affected other nationalities including Ghanians.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been strained in recent months following trade tensions and the demolition of the Nigerian diplomatic building.