A 27-year-old Ghanaian, Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, has filed a human rights suit at the High Court in Accra against the Interior Minister, the Attorney-General, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), over what he describes as grave violations of his constitutional rights.
The application, lodged at the Human Rights Division of the High Court, arises from his arrest on December 11, 2025, in connection with alleged cybercrime activities. Mr Kumi is demanding GH₵10 million in damages, claiming he was subjected to torture, unlawful detention and degrading treatment by both local security agencies and foreign operatives.
According to court documents filed by his lawyers, more than 15 armed officers allegedly broke into his apartment at the Airport Residential Area in Accra while he was indoors with friends. He claims he was immediately handcuffed and kept restrained from morning until late in the evening without food, water or rest.
A key aspect of the suit centres on the alleged involvement of the FBI.
Mr Kumi contends that while in the custody of Ghanaian authorities, he was interrogated by three foreign nationals who introduced themselves as FBI agents. He argues that the agents had no lawful authority to independently carry out interrogations in Ghana. The applicant further claims he was compelled to sign documents he could not read and was threatened with being linked to transactions allegedly worth up to US$8 million unless he surrendered passwords to his mobile phones.
The motion maintain that allowing the foreign agents to interrogate him without the presence of legal counsel violated his rights under Articles 14 and 19 of the 1992 Constitution.
The lawsuit also challenges a separate search conducted in his absence at his residence in Swedru, popularly referred to as “Abu Trica’s Mansion”.
Mr Kumi alleges that officers from NACOC and EOCO carried out the operation without lawful authorisation and carted away several items, including a Lamborghini, a Mercedes vehicle and a Cybertruck, as well as multiple mobile phones, laptops, a PlayStation 5 console and a Starlink internet device.
He further claims that jewellery, watches and other personal belongings were also seized and that no inventory or official receipt was provided for the items taken. According to him, some of the confiscated property belonged to friends who were not connected to the investigation.
The applicant has also accused EOCO of prejudicing his case by describing him as a “notorious cyber-criminal” in a public statement before any court had determined his guilt. Beyond compensation, Mr Kumi is asking the court to declare any evidence obtained through what he describes as coercive interrogation and unlawful searches inadmissible in future proceedings. He is also seeking an interlocutory injunction to prevent the State from extraditing or deporting him to any foreign jurisdiction while the case remains pending. In addition, he wants the court to restrain the FBI and its agents from conducting any investigative or interrogation activities involving him within Ghana.
The matter is expected to be heard at the Human Rights Division of the High Court in February 2026, with legal observers indicating that the case could clarify the limits of foreign law enforcement involvement in criminal investigations conducted in Ghana.