The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah has explained why he has to drive off from the premises of the High Court on September 23.
He said he had to flee from being kidnapped by an official of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
“I told her go, I will follow you, then she said, no, she would forcibly take me into their vehicle. At that point, she couldn’t produce any evidence that she was indeed from EOCO. I also wanted to know whether she has the arrest warrant. She also couldn’t produce anything. It became obvious to me that it was one of the recent kidnappings that have been happening. It is true. I had to defend and protect myself for the benefit of good people of Manhyia South, my children and my whole family.
I needed to put myself at a place where I’ll be safe so that I could also protect and defend the interest of my client for the benefit of her children, particularly the four-year-old who is waiting for the release of her mother. And that is why I had to drive to safety. I’ve come to parliament, colleagues are behind me, and I thank them very much.
So from there, I had to drive to parliament because I was also required to do committee work in parliament. And so, she attempted to kidnap me whilst I was on my way to parliament,” Mr Baffour Awuah narrated at a press brieing in Parliament not long after the incident.
BACKGROUND
High-drama scenes unfolded at the Accra High Court Complex on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, after security personnel, reportedly from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), clashed with lawyers and supporters of detained senior nursing officer Salomey Baffoe Awiti.
The confrontation centered around Manhyia South Member of Parliament and legal counsel for the accused, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, resulting in a physical altercation and a tense vehicle pursuit outside the court premises.
Videos circulating widely online captured a tense moment at the entrance of a vehicle where a female security officer attempted to block the MP from departing. Heated words were exchanged before a scuffle broke out between security operatives and members of the legal team.
Amid the scuffle, a member of the defence team opened the vehicle door, cleared the path, and enabled Mr. Baffour Awuah to drive off, with security personnel briefly pursuing his vehicle.
Sources close to EOCO indicated that the operation was an attempt to pick up the Manhyia South legislator over allegations that he had failed to honour formal invitations to assist with ongoing investigations tied to the controversial “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account.
Conversely, sources close to the MP strongly denied that any official invitation had been extended to him, alleging instead that the move was politically motivated to silence his public defence of Ms. Baffoe Awiti. EOCO has yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
Ms. Baffoe Awiti, a 40-year-old mother of three from Hansua in the Techiman Municipality, has been in state custody following her arrest. She is facing charges of abetment of crime, specifically the publication of false news, in connection with the “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account—which authorities allege has been utilized to criticize government officials.
Police claim forensic investigations into her phone records and mobile money transactions linked her to Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, the alleged primary operator of the account who is reportedly based in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Baffour Awuah has previously criticized the detention, arguing that holding the nurse is unjustified given that principal investigators acknowledge the primary suspect is overseas.
The legal teams had gathered at the High Court on Wednesday, September 23, for a scheduled bail application hearing. However, the proceedings took a procedural turn when the prosecution requested additional time to respond to the defence’s submissions.
Consequently, the High Court adjourned the bail hearing to Thursday, September 24, 2026, as legal arguments regarding her liberty continue.
