Mamprugu youth finger police in killing of Bawku suspect in custody

A major human rights controversy is brewing following allegations by the Mamprugu Youth Association that a 33-year-old Bawku resident, Abdul-Aziz Iddrisu, popularly known as Baaluuse, was killed while in the custody of the Ghana Police Service after being arrested in connection with investigations into the December 2025 attack on police officers in the Upper East Region.

At a press conference in Accra on Friday, March 13, 2026, the Accra Chapter of the Mamprugu Youth Association accused security authorities of what they described as the extrajudicial execution of the suspect, raising concerns about accountability, human rights violations and the potential implications for the already fragile peace situation in Bawku.

Addressing journalists, the group said the case raises troubling questions about the conduct of security operations linked to the long-standing Bawku chieftaincy conflict and the treatment of individuals suspected of involvement in violent incidents in the area.

According to the association, Abdul-Aziz Iddrisu was arrested on February 17, 2026, in a suburb of Bolgatanga together with two of his siblings.

The arrest followed ongoing investigations into the deadly attack on police officers at the Karimenga barrier on December 29, 2025.

In that incident, General Constable Seth Oppong Damoah was killed while two other officers sustained injuries.

Following the arrest, the Ghana Police Service reportedly issued a public statement announcing the development as a major breakthrough in the case and indicated that Abdul-Aziz Iddrisu was in police custody assisting with investigations.

However, the Mamprugu Youth Association explained that the situation soon took an unexpected turn.

According to the group, the two siblings who had been arrested alongside Iddrisu were granted bail on February 18, while Abdul-Aziz himself was allegedly transferred to the National Police Headquarters in Accra for further interrogation.

Concerned about his welfare and legal rights, the family engaged the services of well-known human rights lawyer Martin Kpebu to represent him.

The legal team subsequently began efforts to locate the suspect and gain access to him.

Members of the lawyer’s chambers, accompanied by relatives of Abdul-Aziz Iddrisu, reportedly visited several security agencies including the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), and the National Security Secretariat.

According to the association, officials at these institutions denied holding the suspect.

Faced with uncertainty about his whereabouts, the legal team wrote formally to the Inspector-General of Police requesting access to their client and seeking clarification on where he was being detained.

The association claimed the letter did not receive a response from either the Office of the IGP or the leadership of the CID.

After sending a reminder to the police hierarchy, the lawyer was eventually granted a meeting with the Inspector-General of Police. At that meeting, according to the Mamprugu Youth Association, the IGP allegedly disclosed verbally that Abdul-Aziz Iddrisu had been shot dead by police officers.

The group expressed outrage that the disclosure was reportedly made without any official documentation or written explanation to the family or legal representatives.

According to the association, more than a week after the alleged disclosure, authorities had still not issued a formal statement detailing the circumstances surrounding the death. They also indicated that the body of Abdul-Aziz Iddrisu had not been released to the family and that no autopsy report or independent investigation had been announced.

The association said the case raises serious constitutional concerns, particularly regarding the protection of the right to life, due process and the presumption of innocence as guaranteed under Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.

They argued that the death of a suspect who had been publicly confirmed by the Criminal Investigation Department to be assisting with investigations raises significant questions about how the situation unfolded and whether proper legal procedures were followed.

Beyond the immediate circumstances of the case, the Mamprugu Youth Association linked the incident to what they described as growing tensions in the Bawku conflict area.

The group claimed that since January 2026 several Mamprusi individuals had been arrested after speaking publicly about the arrest of the Bawku Naba, Alhaji Seidu Abagre, although they said those individuals were later released.

According to the association, such developments risk heightening mistrust between communities involved in the long-running Bawku chieftaincy dispute between Mamprusis and Kusasis, which has periodically erupted into violence over the years.

The group warned that incidents involving deaths in custody or allegations of targeted arrests could complicate ongoing peace efforts and further inflame tensions in the area.

At the press conference, the association posed a number of questions to government and security authorities regarding the circumstances surrounding the alleged killing. Among them were who authorised the operation that led to Iddrisu’s death, under what circumstances he was shot, and why official details of the incident had not yet been made public.

They also demanded the immediate release of the body of Abdul-Aziz Iddrisu to his family and called for a transparent account of the events leading to his death.

As part of their demands, the Mamprugu Youth Association called for an independent postmortem examination to be conducted by a neutral medical institution such as the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital or the 37 Military Hospital, with the full participation of the family.

The group further urged the government, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ghana Police Service, and other state institutions to ensure neutrality in handling matters related to the Bawku conflict and to avoid actions that could be interpreted as ethnic bias.

They also called for an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the alleged incident and determine whether any security officers should be held accountable.

The association appealed to civil society organisations, religious leaders, traditional authorities, the diplomatic community and international human rights organisations to monitor the case and push for transparency and justice.

The Ghana Police Service had not issued an official response to the allegations raised at the time of the press conference.

The development has already begun attracting public attention as stakeholders await clarification from the authorities on what exactly happened to Abdul-Aziz Iddrisu after his arrest.