The Deputy Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem Sai, has said the Attorney General has decided to be proactive in ensuring a speedy resolution to fully protect the human rights of Alhaji Seidu Abagre.
As part of the implementation of recommendations made by Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s mediation committee to help resolve the long-running Bawku chieftaincy and security crisis, Alhaji Abagre (the Applicant) has been removed from the area in an operation carried out by the Ghana Armed Forces.
Through his lawyers, led by Martin Kpebu, he filed an application for Habeas Corpus, seeking to compel the Interior Minister and the National Intelligence Bureau to produce him before the High Court and justify his continued detention.
In Court on Monday, January 12, 2026, Dr. Srem-Sai said that due to the public nature of the case, the AG has decided to take steps to deal with the matters expeditiously.
“Because of the public interest nature of this matter, and the greater implications it has on national security, the office of the Attorney General decided to be proactive and intervene so as to ensure speedy resolution of the matter, and also to fully protect the human rights of Alhaji Seidu Abagre,” he said.
He said though “a formal process has not been served on us,” the AG has “decided to appear in Court so as to abridge the process.”
Lead Counsel for the Applicant, Martin Kpebu, said he is not opposed to the AG’s position seeking to intervene at an early stage of the matter so as to abridge time and requirement.
“For us, we believe that we support and have no objection to the Attorney General seeking to intervene early so as to abridge the time and the requirements of service of an order, which we pray my lady will grant.”
In the circumstances, “I believe the law will not be breached if my lady (Judge) will allow the AG to participate.”
Lawyer Martin Kpebu, prior to adjournment, said, “We pray that my lady will order that, for the avoidance of doubt, under Section 2 of Act 244, the AG will bring the detainee.”
“As it stands now, for two and a half weeks now, I have not seen my client, despite a request to see the detainee, which was declined.”
In his response, Deputy Attorney General Dr. Srem-Sai said, “There is only one ground for granting the order in Section 2 of the Habeas Corpus Act, 1964 (Act 244), and that ground is that the detention is unlawful….”
The High Court, presided over by Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Basit, has since directed the AG to file a written report on the detention of Alhaji Seidu Abagre, the rival chief who was arrested by the Ghana Armed Forces on December 24.
The Deputy Attorney-General said they will file the report in 10 days from the Court sitting and has been directed to file same by January 21.
Meanwhile, a request for the State to produce the Applicant at the next adjourned date was not granted. The case has been adjourned to January 26.
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