Alhaji Seidu Abagre, also known as Naa Sheriga Kulga II, on Monday pleaded not guilty to four criminal charges, including acting as a chief without qualification and provoking riots, when he was arraigned before the High Court in Accra.
The 78-year-old retired teacher has been accused by the state of unlawfully holding himself out as the Bawku Na Ba and instigating violence linked to the Kusasi–Mamprusi conflict in the Upper East Region.
The charges include acting as a chief without qualification, provocation of riot, offensive conduct conducive to breaches of the peace, and fighting with weapons.
Alhaji Abagre’s claim to the Bawku skin is linked to 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 position. The mediation report affirmed Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II as the rightful Bawku Na Ba.
Following the mediation, Abagre was instructed to either leave Bawku or remain in the town strictly as an ordinary resident.
Prosecutors allege that attempts to get the accused leave Bawku were unsuccessful. According to the brief facts of the case, the ‘violence surged in December 2025, leading to more killings and unlawful harm to several hundred people.’
Alhaji Abagre was arrested on December 24, 2025, following the surge in violence.
He has remained in custody since then and was formally arraigned before the court on January 19, 2026.
