The Mamprugu Traditional Council has strongly condemned what it describes as the unlawful arrest and removal of the Bawku Naaba, Naa Sheriga Alhaji Seidu Abagre, from Bawku, warning that the actions of the Government could further inflame tensions in the long-standing chieftaincy dispute.
In a statement issued and signed by the Nayiri, Naa Bohugu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, Overlord of Mamprugu on Friday, December 26, the Council expressed “grave alarm” over what it termed indiscriminate arrests, intimidation, and harassment of law-abiding Mamprusis by state security agencies.
According to the statement, the removal of the Bawku Naaba allegedly carried out under the pretext of enforcing the Otumfuo Asantehene’s mediation report on the Bawku conflict resulted in the deaths of two Mamprusi citizens and left several others injured. The Nayiri described the operation as unconstitutional and legally flawed.
The Traditional Council also condemned the arrest of an executive member of the Mamprugu Youth Association, Alhaji Inusah Abdul-Majeed Badigamsira, who was reportedly picked up at dawn on December 23 for sharing an article authored by former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu that criticised the mediation report.
The Nayiri described the arrest as an example of selective justice and an abuse of constitutional freedoms.
The statement emphasized that the arrest or detention of the Bawku Naaba does not nullify his chieftaincy status, insisting that Ghana’s 1992 Constitution guarantees the institution of chieftaincy and prohibits state interference outside customary law.
“The arrest, detention, or removal of the Bawku Naaba constitutes a direct affront to the Constitution,” the statement said, adding that only the Nayiri and recognized kingmakers have the authority to install or remove a chief in Mamprugu and the Bawku Traditional Area.
The Council further criticised the Government’s assertion that the action was taken in line with the Otumfuo mediation report and allegedly executed by personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces, describing the move as inconsistent with democratic governance under the Fourth Republic.
The Nayiri warned that the use of force, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation undermine genuine mediation efforts and risk escalating instability rather than fostering peace.
He called on the Government to immediately cease what he described as unconstitutional interference in chieftaincy affairs and return to dialogue grounded in respect for customary authority and the rule of law.
While reaffirming Mamprugu’s commitment to peace, the statement cautioned that continued state overreach could threaten national stability.
The Nayiri indicated that further updates would be provided to the public in the coming days regarding what he termed coordinated political actions under the guise of mediation.
He called for a peaceful, lawful, and constitutionally grounded resolution to the Bawku chieftaincy dispute that respects traditional authority and preserves the integrity of the chieftaincy institution.
