A High Court in Accra has issued a directive to the Attorney-General’s Department, ordering a comprehensive report on the justification for the continued detention of Alhaji Seidu Abagre, who has been in the custody of state security agencies for 20 days.

Alhaji Seidu Abagre has been at the centre of the chieftaincy dispute in Bawku, where he claimed to be the Bawku Na Ba.

He was installed by the Nayiri of Mamprugu, Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga II, to go and rule in Bawku, an action considered flawed by the Otumfuo committee set up to resolve the Bawku conflict.

The committee further recommended the recall of Alhaji Abagre by the Nayiri from Bawku in the Upper East Region to Nalerigu, the capital of the North East Region where the Nayiri palace is situated, to be reassigned another role.

Presiding Judge Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit gave the order on Monday, January 12, following a Habeas Corpus application—a legal writ used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine if their imprisonment is lawful.

The state must now file its detailed report by January 21, 2026.

The case of Alhaji Abagre is inextricably linked to the volatile chieftaincy dynamics in Bawku.

He was removed from the area by the Ghana Armed Forces on December 24, 2025, a move based on recommendations from the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who has been leading a high-level mediation exercise to resolve the decades-old conflict.

In a move that surprised some observers, the Deputy Attorney-General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, appeared in court even before the state had been formally served with the legal papers.

Dr. Srem-Sai explained that the Office of the Attorney-General elected to intervene proactively due to the "public interest character" of the case and its "potential national security implications".

He told the court that the AG's presence was intended to "abridge procedural requirements and facilitate the early determination of issues", while ensuring the detainee's human rights are safeguarded.

Despite the state's cooperative tone, the defence team painted a picture of a man held incommunicado.

Renowned human rights lawyer Martin Kpebu, representing Alhaji Abagre, expressed deep concern over the lack of access to his client.

Mr Kpebu prayed the court to exercise its powers under Section 2 of the Habeas Corpus Act, 1964 (Act 244), to compel the Attorney-General to physically produce the detainee in court. Kpebu revealed that he had not seen his client for two and a half weeks, claiming his requests for access had been repeatedly refused by security agencies.

In her ruling, Justice Abdul-Baasit leaned on Section 3 of Act 244, which requires the detaining authority to submit a report detailing the "circumstances and legal basis" for a person's detention.

Key Date	Event
Dec 24, 2025	Seidu Abagre was removed from Bawku by the Ghana Armed Forces.
Jan 12, 2026	The High Court orders the AG to file a detailed report on detention.
Jan 21, 2026	Deadline for the State to file the Section 3 report.
Jan 26, 2026	Next scheduled court hearing for continuation.

The Bawku Context

The removal of Abagre is seen as a tactical manoeuvre by the state to preserve the fragile peace in the Upper East Region.

The Bawku chieftaincy dispute, characterised by claims and counter-claims over the rightful occupant of the Bawku Skin, has led to numerous curfews and loss of lives over the years.

The intervention by the Asantehene was widely viewed as a "final push" for a permanent peace treaty, but the resulting detention of Abagre has now shifted the focus from traditional mediation to constitutional rights.

The court has adjourned the matter to January 26, 2026, when it will review the state's report and decide the next steps regarding Abagre's liberty.