The Mamprugu Traditional Council has strongly criticised the removal of the Bawku Naaba, Naa Sheriga Alhaji Seidu Abagre, from Bawku, describing the action as illegal and unconstitutional.
In a statement issued on December 26, 2025, the Nayiri, Overlord of Mamprugu, accused the Government of Ghana of carrying out arrests, intimidation and harassment of Mamprusi citizens under the guise of enforcing a mediation process to resolve the Bawku conflict.
According to the council, the most troubling issue was the removal of the Bawku Naaba, which it said resulted in the deaths of two innocent Mamprusi citizens and left several others injured. The council described the operation as unlawful and lacking any legal basis.
The statement also condemned the arrest of an executive member of the Mamprugu Youth Association, Alhaji Inusah Abdul-Majeed Badigamsira, who was allegedly arrested around 2:00 a.m. on December 23. The council said he was picked up for sharing a document written by former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu on the mediation process, while the author himself was not questioned. This, the council said, amounts to selective justice.
The Mamprugu Traditional Council warned that arrests carried out at night violate constitutional rights, heighten tensions and weaken efforts to achieve peace. It stressed that force and repression cannot replace justice or genuine mediation, and that such actions only deepen fear and mistrust in already fragile communities.
The council further stated that the arrest, detention or removal of the Bawku Naaba is a direct violation of the 1992 Constitution. It maintained that Naa Sheriga Alhaji Seidu Abagre remains the legitimate Bawku Naaba and that his status cannot be changed through state action.
According to the council, the Constitution protects the institution of chieftaincy and does not allow any authority to appoint, remove or alter the recognition of a chief outside the customs and traditions of the area concerned.
The council rejected the government’s explanation that the action was based on recommendations from the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II mediation process, insisting that no mediation outcome can override the Constitution or customary law.
The statement ended with a call for restraint, respect for the rule of law and sincere dialogue, warning that heavy-handed actions risk worsening the Bawku conflict rather than bringing lasting peace.