Border is opened, Ghanaians leave Nigeria

The exodus of West Africans expelled from Nigeria speeded up dramatically Sunday after Ghana opened a frontier crossing to allow its citizens to return home overland.

When Ghana decided Saturday to open its border with Togo for the first time since September, there were well over 100,000 Ghanaians waiting here at the Nigerian border. The exodus from Nigeria began when an estimated 2 million illegal aliens were told to leave by Jan. 31.

In related news, cocoa prices shot up Jan. 28, because of fears that expulsion of the Ghanaians from Nigeria might disrupt shipping and supplies, dealers said.