Court orders Attorney-General to justify continued detention of Alhaji Seidu Abagre
The High Court has commanded the Attorney-General to provide a legal basis for the prolonged detention of Alhaji Seidu Abagre, amid allegations that he has been held without due process for weeks.
The directive was issued during a hearing on a habeas corpus application filed by Abagre’s lawyers, who are contesting the lawfulness of his arrest and ongoing detention. The Attorney-General must submit a written report by January 21, 2026, justifying why Abagre remains in custody.
The case has been adjourned until January 26 for further proceedings. Abagre has been a key figure in the protracted Bawku chieftaincy dispute, having claimed the Bawku skin, which was subsequently rejected in a mediation report led by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, affirming Naaba Asigri Abugrago Asoka II as the rightful Bawku Naba.
Following the mediation outcome, Abagre was reportedly mandated to either vacate Bawku and accept reassignment by the Nayiri, the Overlord of Mamprugu who initially selected him, or remain in the area strictly as a private citizen.
Notwithstanding these directives, Abagre was later apprehended by the Ghana Armed Forces and handed over to the National Investigations Bureau (NIB), where he has been in custody since December 24, 2025.
His legal team maintains that the detention is unconstitutional, insisting that Abagre has been held without proper justification. They further argue that although the state obtained a court order to detain him, the order was secured without granting him a hearing, which they claim violates his fundamental rights.
In court, the judge noted that under Section 2 of the Habeas Corpus Act, the court has the authority to demand a written explanation from the detaining authority and, where necessary, order the physical production of the detainee.
The court indicated that a decision on whether Abagre should be brought before the court in person will be considered after reviewing the Attorney-General’s report.
