Attorney-General moves to fast-track habeas corpus case of Bawku rival chief
13th January 2026
The Deputy Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, says the Attorney-General’s Department has stepped in to ensure a swift resolution of the detention of Alhaji Seidu Abagre, as well as the full protection of his constitutional rights.
Alhaji Abagre, a key figure in the protracted Bawku chieftaincy and security conflict, was removed from the area by the Ghana Armed Forces as part of efforts to implement recommendations from a mediation committee established by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
Through his legal team, led by Martin Kpebu, Abagre filed an application for a writ of Habeas Corpus, asking the High Court to compel the Minister for the Interior and the National Intelligence Bureau to produce him in court and justify his continued detention.
Appearing before the High Court on Monday, January 12, 2026, Dr. Srem-Sai explained that although the Attorney-General had not been formally served, the office chose to intervene because of the national importance of the case.
“Because of the public-interest nature of this matter, and the greater implications it has for national security, the Attorney-General has decided to be proactive, to ensure a speedy resolution and the full protection of the human rights of Alhaji Seidu Abagre,” he told the court.
Lead counsel for the applicant, Martin Kpebu, welcomed the Attorney-General’s early intervention, saying it would help avoid delays.
“We support the Attorney-General seeking to intervene early to abridge the time and the service requirements,” he said, urging the court to formally order the state to produce his client under Section 2 of the Habeas Corpus Act, 1964 (Act 244).
Kpebu also revealed that he had not seen his client for more than two weeks, despite making requests to do so.
“For two and a half weeks now, I have not had access to my client. A request to see him was declined,” he told the court.
Responding, Dr. Srem-Sai argued that the law allows a Habeas Corpus order to be granted only where a detention is unlawful.
“There is only one ground under Section 2 of Act 244 for granting such an order, and that is where the detention is unlawful,” he said.
The High Court, presided over by Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Basit, has directed the Attorney-General to file a written report explaining the detention of Alhaji Abagre, who was arrested by the military on December 24.
The court gave the Attorney-General 10 days to submit the report, with a deadline of January 21.
However, a request for the state to produce Abagre in court at the next sitting was declined.
The case has been adjourned to January 26.