Frederick Kumi, a 27-year-old Ghanaian widely known as Abu Trica, has taken legal action against both the Government of Ghana and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, accusing them of subjecting him to torture, unlawful detention and severe breaches of his constitutional rights following his arrest over suspected cyber fraud.
Kumi, through a motion filed at the Human Rights Division of the High Court in Accra on February 9, 2026, is seeking GH¢10 million in damages. He describes his experience as a deliberate pattern of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment after he was arrested on December 11, 2025.
The legal action lists the Minister for the Interior, the Narcotics Control Commission, the FBI, the Economic and Organised Crime Office and the Attorney-General as respondents.
According to documents filed before the court, Kumi alleges that his arrest involved physical assault, forced interrogations reportedly led by foreign officials and the unlawful confiscation of his personal belongings.
His legal team claims that more than 15 armed officers forced their way into his apartment at the Airport Residential Area while he was engaged in video games with friends. He maintains that he was immediately placed in handcuffs and remained restrained from morning until late evening without being given food, water or time to rest.
A significant part of the lawsuit focuses on the alleged involvement of the FBI, which is named as the third respondent in the case.
Kumi asserts that while under the custody of Ghanaian authorities, he was questioned by three foreign nationals who introduced themselves as FBI agents. According to the motion, these agents allegedly lacked lawful policing authority within Ghana and compelled him to sign documents he could not understand because of limited literacy. He further claims they threatened to link him to fraudulent transactions worth eight million dollars if he refused to provide passwords to his electronic devices.
The motion states that the decision and conduct of officers of the second respondent in permitting agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to interrogate the applicant without access to counsel was unlawful and in violation of Articles 14 and 19 of the 1992 Constitution.
Kumi also accuses NACOC and EOCO officers of conducting unauthorised searches at his residence in Swedru, popularly known as Abu Trica’s Mansion, while he remained in detention. He claims the searches were carried out without his knowledge, presence or consent.
He alleges that officers confiscated several expensive assets, including vehicles such as a Lamborghini, a Mercedes and a Cybertruck.
Other items reportedly seized include numerous iPhones from models 7 to 15 Pro, MacBooks, an Alienware laptop, a PlayStation 5 console and a Starlink Wi-Fi modem. Authorities are also said to have taken personal valuables such as Cartier watches, jewellery and silver chains.
Kumi further argues that several of the seized items belonged to friends who were present at the time of his arrest. He claims authorities failed to provide any official inventory or receipt for the confiscated property.
He additionally accuses EOCO of violating his constitutional right to be presumed innocent after allegedly labelling him a notorious cyber-criminal in an official press release before any court ruling on his guilt.
Apart from financial compensation, Abu Trica is requesting the court to grant several additional reliefs. These include an order to exclude evidence obtained through what he describes as forced interrogations and unlawful searches.
He is also seeking an interlocutory injunction to stop the State from extraditing or deporting him to any foreign country until the case is fully resolved.
Furthermore, he is asking the court to issue a directive preventing the FBI and its agents from conducting any investigations or interrogations involving him within Ghana.
The Human Rights High Court is expected to hear the case.
