A legal storm is brewing following the arrest of Abubakar Yakubu, the Sunyani East Constituency Communications Officer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), with his lawyer warning that the development could signal a troubling shift for free expression in Ghana.
Yakubu, popularly known as “Bada Amando,” was taken into custody on 13 April 2026, after he honoured what he believed to be a formal police invitation at the Bono Regional Police Headquarters.
According to his lawyer, Alfred Tuah Yeboah, a former Deputy Attorney-General, the circumstances surrounding the arrest raise serious legal and constitutional concerns.
In an interview with Asaase News, Yeboah disclosed that he accompanied his client to the police headquarters at about 10:00 a.m. on Monday, 12 April, in response to an invitation allegedly issued to Yakubu.
However, upon arrival, officers at the command reportedly denied any knowledge of such an invitation.
“We were surprised to be told there was no record of the invitation, despite prior communication directing my client to report,” Yeboah recounted.
The situation took a dramatic turn when Yakubu was subsequently arrested, a move his lawyer believes may be linked to comments or social media posts attributed to his client though no official reason has been provided by authorities.
Yeboah expressed deep concern over what he described as a “presumptive arrest,” suggesting that it may be rooted in Yakubu’s political commentary.
“In view of the fact that he has been invited by the Cyber Security office and the Police Headquarters in Accra, one can only presume that this has to do with something he might have said or posted,” he stated.
He cautioned that such actions, if not carefully handled, could undermine Ghana’s democratic foundations.
“We must be very careful. If care is not taken, Ghana will fall back into a dark place where people are unable to express their opinions freely,” he warned.
The former Deputy Attorney-General argued that even controversial or incorrect opinions do not constitute criminal conduct under Ghanaian law.
“Even if a post mocks someone whether through pictures or video that alone does not amount to a crime. The appropriate remedy is a civil action, such as defamation, not arrest,” he explained.
Yeboah further suggested that the arrest of his client could be perceived as an attempt to silence him in his role as a political communicator.
“If my client is being targeted because of his views, then this raises serious questions about the protection of free speech in our country,” he added.
As of now, the police have not publicly disclosed the basis for Yakubu’s arrest, leaving many questions unanswered and fueling public debate over the boundaries between law enforcement and constitutional freedoms.
The incident has sparked renewed scrutiny over Ghana’s commitment to upholding free speech, particularly in an era increasingly shaped by digital communication and political discourse.
Reporting by Daniel Donkor-Bono Region
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