A chaotic scene unfolded outside the Accra High Court on Wednesday afternoon when alleged operatives from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) moved to intercept and arrest Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South. The midday standoff has ignited an intense national debate surrounding constitutional protocols and the lawful treatment of sitting lawmakers.
According to a formal statement released by EOCO following the confrontation, the operation was intended to secure the MP's attendance for an ongoing investigation linked to the controversial "Ghana Jollof" TikTok platform. The agency claimed that Mr. Baffour Awuah had previously ignored two separate official invitations issued in February 2026.
However, sources close to the lawmaker strongly dispute that narrative, insisting that no formal summons was ever served to either the MP or the Office of the Speaker of Parliament. They maintain that the ambush outside the courthouse was an act of political intimidation aimed at interfering with his legal representation of Salomey Baffoe, who faces legal scrutiny in connection with the viral TikTok account.
Video footage from the scene captured an unidentified woman, along with other plainclothes personnel presenting themselves as state agents, confronting the lawmaker and demanding that he accompany them to the agency's headquarters. The identities, official ranks, and operational clearance of the alleged operatives could not be confirmed, raising immediate questions regarding their authorization to execute such an interception on court grounds.
Mr. Baffour Awuah firmly rejected the demand, boarded his vehicle, and exited the premises while the alleged operatives tailed his convoy through parts of the capital.
The confrontation has triggered swift condemnation from senior members of the bar and parliamentary monitors. Legal analysts emphasize that established constitutional conventions mandate prior notice to the Speaker of Parliament before law enforcement can detain an elected representative. They also warned that allowing alleged operatives with unconfirmed identities to attempt arrests outside the courts undermines judicial sanctity and poses a direct threat to the rule of law.
