The wife of former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer, Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, has filed an urgent habeas corpus application at the High Court’s Specialised Court in Accra, demanding to know her husband’s whereabouts and pressing for his immediate release.
Hajia Faiza Seidu Wuni filed the application on July 6, asking the court to compel the Director of the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) and the Attorney-General to produce her husband and explain the basis for his continued detention.
Her husband was arrested by armed operatives at the Accra International Airport on July 4, just as he prepared to travel abroad under a court-approved medical trip.
According to her sworn affidavit, Abdul-Wahab, who is standing trial on charges of stealing and causing financial loss to the state, had been granted permission by the High Court on June 29 to travel to London for treatment of a worsening eye condition, with the order requiring him to leave on or before July 4 and return by July 14.
The affidavit states that Abdul-Wahab completed all standard pre-departure checks at the airport, including clearance from the Ghana Immigration Service, before he was confronted by armed men identifying themselves as BNI officers and taken into custody without explanation.
His wife says he was denied the chance to speak with his lawyer at the time of arrest, and that the family spent hours making frantic calls to security agencies — all of which denied holding him — before learning the next day that he was being held at BNI headquarters in Ridge, Accra.
She further alleges that she was turned away when she tried to deliver food to her husband at the BNI headquarters, and was told that visitors were not permitted on weekends. She added that lawyers who later sought access to him were also denied, with officers reportedly citing a lack of clearance.
The arrest was revealed by Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai, who said in a Facebook post the same night that Abdul-Wahab’s arrest followed an attempt to empty a frozen Republic Bank account two days before his arrest.
Dr Srem-Sai added that the Attorney-General’s office intended to challenge the court order that had permitted Abdul-Wahab’s travel in the first place.
“There is no basis whatsoever for the claim” — Abdul-Wahab’s wife firmly disputes this account in her affidavit, stating that her husband denies the allegation entirely and calling on the state to produce proof.
Abdul-Wahab’s lawyers have also refuted the claims that the bank account in question was frozen, challenging the Attorney General to provide evidence.
Hajia Faiza Seidu Wuni’s application argues that the arrest and ongoing detention violate her husband’s constitutional rights, including his right to personal liberty and to legal representation, and asks the court to order his production so the legality of his detention can be reviewed.
The BNI and the Attorney-General’s office have not yet issued a formal response to the habeas corpus filing. The matter is now before the High Court in Accra.
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