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Alhaji Seidu Abagre, also known as Naa Sheriga Kulga II, has pleaded not guilty to four criminal charges when he appeared before the High Court in Accra on Monday, January 19, 2026.
The 78-year-old retired teacher is facing charges of acting as a chief without qualification, provocation of riot, offensive conduct conducive to breaches of the peace, and fighting with weapons.
According to the prosecution, Alhaji Abagre unlawfully held himself out as the Bawku Na Ba and allegedly instigated violence connected to the longstanding Kusasi–Mamprusi conflict in the Upper East Region.
The state told the court that Abagre’s claim to the Bawku skin stems from his selection by the overlord of the Mamprugu Kingdom to act as Bawku Na Ba. However, a mediation process led by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, rejected his claim and affirmed Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II as the legitimate Bawku Na Ba.
Following the mediation outcome, Alhaji Abagre was directed to either leave Bawku or remain in the area strictly as an ordinary resident. Prosecutors allege that efforts to get him to comply with this directive were unsuccessful.
Court documents indicate that violence in the area escalated in December 2025, resulting in multiple deaths and unlawful harm to several hundred people.
Alhaji Abagre was arrested on December 24, 2025, after the surge in violence and has remained in custody since then. He was formally arraigned before the High Court on January 19, 2026, and is expected to face further proceedings as the trial continues.
