27-year-old Ghanaian national, Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, has hauled the government of Ghana and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) before the High Court, accusing them of torture, unlawful detention and gross violations of his fundamental human rights following his arrest over alleged cyber fraud.
In a motion filed at the Human Rights Division of the High Court in Accra, on February 9, 2026, Kumi is demanding GH¢10 million in compensation, describing his ordeal as a calculated pattern of “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment” after his arrest on December 11, 2025.
The suit names the Minister for the Interior, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), the FBI, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Attorney-General as respondents.
According to court documents, Kumi claims his arrest was accompanied by physical abuse, coercive interrogations allegedly conducted by foreign agents and the unlawful seizure of his personal property.
Watch the moment Abu Trica appeared in court under heavy security
Lawyers for Abu Trica has stated that more than 15-armed officers stormed his apartment at the Airport Residential Area while he was playing video games with friends.
He alleges that he was immediately handcuffed and kept restrained from morning until late evening without access to food, water or rest.
Central to the case is the role of the FBI, listed as the third respondent.
Kumi claims that while in the custody of Ghanaian authorities, he was interrogated by three foreign nationals introduced to him as FBI agents.
According to the motion, the agents who allegedly had no lawful policing authority in Ghana forced him to sign documents he could not read due to limited literacy and threatened to associate him with fraudulent transactions amounting to $8 million if he failed to disclose passwords to his electronic devices.
Court orders hospitalisation of 'sick' Abu Trica at state's expense
“The decision and conduct of officers of the 2nd Respondent in permitting agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation... to interrogate the Applicant without access to Counsel, was unlawful and in violation of Articles 14 and 19 of the 1992 Constitution,” the motion states.
‘Abu Trica Mansion’ raided in absence of owner
While Kumi remained in detention, he alleges that officers from NACOC and EOCO carried out unauthorised searches at his Swedru residence, popularly referred to as “Abu Trica’s Mansion,” without his presence or consent.
He claims the officers seized several high-value items, including:
Vehicles: A Lamborghini, a Mercedes and a Cybertruck.
Electronics: Multiple iPhones (models 7 through 15 Pro), MacBooks, an Alienware laptop, a PlayStation 5 console and a Starlink Wi-Fi modem.
Personal Effects: Cartier watches, jewellery and silver chains.
Kumi further contends that many of the seized items belonged to friends who were present at the time of his arrest and that authorities failed to issue any inventory or official receipt for the confiscated property.
He also accuses EOCO of breaching his constitutional right to be presumed innocent after allegedly describing him as a “notorious cyber-criminal” in an official press release before any court had determined his guilt.
Beyond monetary compensation, Abu Trica is asking the court to grant several critical reliefs, including:
Exclusion of Evidence: An order declaring inadmissible any information or items obtained through what he describes as coercive interrogations and unauthorised searches.
Interlocutory Injunction: An order preventing the State from extraditing or deporting him to any foreign country pending the final determination of the case.
Restraint of the FBI: A directive barring the FBI and its agents from conducting investigations or interrogations involving him within Ghana.
The case is expected to be heard by the Human Rights High Court.
Legal observers say the outcome could establish a major precedent on the limits of foreign law enforcement operations in Ghana and reinforce constitutional safeguards for citizens during high-profile cybercrime investigations.
NA/AM
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