High Court directs Attorney-General to submit report on detention of Alhaji Seidu Abagre

The High Court in Accra has ordered the Attorney-General’s Department to file a detailed report on the detention of Alhaji Seidu Abagre, who has been in state security agencies custody since December 24, 2025, following his removal from Bawku based on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s Bawku conflict mediation exercise.

The court directed that the report, which should outline the reasons for Seidu Abagre’s detention, should be filed on or before January 21, 2026.

The order was made by the court presided over Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit following a habeas corpus application filed on behalf of Seidu Abagre.

The Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, told the court that because of the public interest character of the case and its potential national security implications, the Office of the Attorney-General had elected to intervene proactively to help ensure the matter was resolved swiftly and to safeguard the human rights of Seidu Abagre.

Dr Srem-Sai said the AG’s Office appeared in court despite not having been formally served with the court process, in order to abridge procedural requirements and facilitate the early determination of issues.

He then prayed the court for a short adjournment to enable the Attorney-General’s Office to be properly served with the writ and supporting processes.

Ruling 

In its ruling, the court directed the Attorney-General to submit a report under Section 3 of the Habeas Corpus Act, 1964 (Act 244), detailing the circumstances and legal basis for Seidu Abagre’s detention.

Following the ruling, Martin Kpebu, lawyer for Seidu Abagre prayed the court, for the “avoidance of doubt,” to direct under Section 2 of Act 244 that the Attorney-General should produce the detainee in court, as he had not seen his client for two and a half weeks despite a request to do so, which he said had been refused.

The matter has been adjourned to January 26, 2026, for continuation.

Background

Alhaji Seidu Abagre was removed from Bawku by personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces on December 24, 2025, following recommendations contained in a mediation report by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on the long-standing Bawku chieftaincy dispute.

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