The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have removed Alhaji Seidu Abagre, the recently installed rival Mamprusi chief, from Bawku Township. This move comes after a formal recommendation from the Otumfuo Asantehene Osei Tutu II mediation report aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict.
According to a statement from the Ministry of the Interior, the military action took place on Wednesday afternoon, and it was confirmed that Seidu Abagre was safely transferred under the care of the security agencies.
The Ministry’s statement on Facebook said, “This afternoon, personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) removed Alhaji Seidu Abagre from Bawku, pursuant to the recommendations of the Otumfuo Asantehene Osei Tutu II mediation report regarding the Bawku affair. Alhaji Seidu Abagre is safe in the care of the security agencies.”
Following the chief’s removal, there were unconfirmed reports of sporadic gunfire in Bawku, which some say may have led to casualties. However, the Ministry has yet to release an official statement regarding any potential injuries or fatalities related to the clashes.
The move is part of a broader strategy by the government and traditional leaders to find a long-term solution to the Bawku conflict, which has seen tensions between the Mamprusi and Kusasi ethnic groups. One of the key recommendations in the Otumfuo’s report was that Seidu Abagre, who was installed as a rival chief by the Mamprusi side, should return to Nalerigu. The Otumfuo committee proposed that Abagre be reassigned to a traditional role at the Palace of the Nayiri, the Overlord of Mamprugu, or alternatively, if he remained in Bawku, he would have to do so as an ordinary citizen and not as the Bawku Naba (chief).
In his presentation of the mediation report, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II emphasized that, “The final resolution of the Bawku Matters requires that Mr Seidu Abagre be recalled to Nalerigu by the Nayiri to be reassigned to play another traditional role at the Palace of the Nayiri, assisted by the State. Alternatively, he may choose to stay in Bawku as an ordinary citizen of the community but not to pose as Bawku Naba.”
The resolution was officially submitted to President John Dramani Mahama on December 16, 2025, at the Jubilee House in Accra.
