A short video from the Accra High Court has made a female officer of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) one of the most searched people in Ghana. On Wednesday, 23 September 2026, she tried to arrest Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, the New Patriotic Party MP for Manhyia South, as he left the court complex. The arrest did not happen. The MP pushed past her, drove to Parliament and called it an attempted kidnapping, while EOCO says its officers were doing their lawful duty.
Here is what is known so far, from both sides.
Who is the EOCO officer?
EOCO has not named her. News reports, including those by Graphic Online, Adom and Ghanaian Times, describe her only as a female EOCO operative. Several names are circulating on social media, but none has been confirmed by EOCO or by any established news outlet, so Agyedin is not repeating them. We will update this page if her identity is officially confirmed.
What is on record is her conduct in the video. According to the MP, she approached him after the court session, touched his hand and told him he was needed at EOCO. Adom's footage shows her standing in the way of his car before a heated exchange, after which he pushed her aside and drove off.
Why was Baffour Awuah at court?
Baffour Awuah, a lawyer, was in court as lead counsel for Salomey Baffoe, who is charged with abetment of crime in the case over the "Ghana Jollof" TikTok account. The police accuse her of helping Barbara Asantewaa Kodua spread content online; she has pleaded not guilty. Her bail hearing that morning was adjourned to 24 September after the prosecution asked for more time.
EOCO's side
EOCO links the attempted arrest to a separate matter. It is investigating SIC Life Savings and Loans Company Limited, which is represented by Sarkodie Baffour Awuah and Partners, the law firm where the MP is senior partner. EOCO says it invited him to report to its head office in Accra on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, and sent a second invitation, and that he honoured neither.
In a statement, EOCO's Acting Executive Director, Raymond Archer, said the officers were "acting in the lawful discharge of their statutory responsibilities" over the MP's refusal to honour the February invitation. EOCO said the situation escalated, so the officers stopped rather than risk public safety. It added that two people seen in the video allegedly helped the MP get away, and that their conduct is being assessed.
The MP's side
At a press briefing in Parliament the same day, Baffour Awuah said the woman "could not produce any evidence that she was indeed from EOCO" and had no arrest warrant. He says he offered to go voluntarily, telling her "Go, I will follow you", but she insisted on taking him in her vehicle. "I needed to put myself at a place where I would be safe," he said, explaining why he drove to Parliament.
He also disputes that he ignored EOCO. He says a representative of his firm engaged with EOCO on three occasions and submitted a formal statement.
Can EOCO arrest a sitting MP?
The answer turns on Article 117 of the 1992 Constitution, which says civil or criminal process from any court or place outside Parliament shall not be served on or executed against an MP "whiles he is on his way to, attending at or returning from any proceedings of Parliament".
That protection is tied to parliamentary business. It is not a general immunity from investigation, and an arrest must still meet the ordinary requirements of Article 14: the person must be told why they are being arrested, told they can have a lawyer, and brought before a court within 48 hours. The dispute is over procedure. Critics, including the NDC's own Majority Chief Whip, say law enforcement agencies should go through the Speaker to arrange an MP's appearance, not approach him outside a courtroom. EOCO's position is that it had already tried invitations and the MP did not respond.
Reactions
The incident drew criticism from both parties.
- Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader, called on President John Mahama to act: "Watch these excesses, enough is enough. Call your appointees to order because this is not the Ghana we want." He added that the Minority is "not against accountability", only against agencies acting outside the law.
- Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, the NDC Majority Chief Whip, said it was "absolutely unacceptable" for EOCO to try to arrest a sitting MP at court without following the Article 117 procedure: "If the Hon Baffour-Awuah is alleged to have committed any offence, for which EOCO requires his presence, by all means, let the law speak but let the law follow lawful procedure."
- Martin Kpebu, a lawyer, called it "a retrogression in our quest for a better democracy" and said the usual route is to write to the Speaker, who then arranges for the MP to appear.
- Kwaku Azar, the legal scholar, described a "botched attempt to arrest lawyers coming from court" as "totally unprofessional and unprecedented".
- Oliver Barker-Vormawor accused the government of "zero tact".
What happens next
EOCO says it will review the video and the circumstances before deciding its next steps, including what to do about the two people it says helped the MP leave. Parliament's leadership on both sides has signalled it expects any future approach to go through the Speaker. The EOCO investigation into SIC Life Savings and Loans continues, and Salomey Baffoe's bail application is due back before the High Court on 24 September.
This page will be updated as the story develops.
