Snapchat personality Frederick Kumi, popularly known as “Abu Trica,” has filed a lawsuit against the Minister of the Interior and several investigative bodies over what he describes as the unlawful manner of his arrest, detention, and interrogation in December 2025.
The suit names the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), and the Attorney-General as co-defendants.
Mr Kumi, who is widely known on Snapchat as Abu Trica, was arrested in Ghana following an indictment by United States authorities for allegedly playing a key role in a romance scam syndicate that reportedly defrauded elderly Americans of more than US$8 million.
Through his lawyer, he has filed an application at the Human Rights Division of the High Court seeking enforcement of his fundamental human rights under Article 33 of the 1992 Constitution.
In the suit, he is demanding GH¢10 million in compensation for what he claims were violations of his constitutional rights.
He is also challenging EOCO’s public statement that described him as a “notorious cyber-criminal,” arguing that the portrayal amounted to a declaration of guilt despite the absence of any conviction by a court of competent jurisdiction.
According to the application, Mr Kumi alleges that he was detained and interrogated in an intimidating and coercive environment without access to legal counsel, food, or water. He further claims that properties belonging to his clients were seized and that he was compelled to disclose personal passwords during the interrogation process.
He contends that these actions undermined his right to be presumed innocent and denied him a fair hearing, describing them as unlawful and in violation of his rights to personal liberty, human dignity, and a fair trial.
Among the reliefs being sought, Mr Kumi is asking the High Court to declare his arrest, prolonged detention, and interrogation without legal representation unconstitutional and unlawful.
He is also seeking an order for all information obtained from him during the alleged rights violations to be excluded as inadmissible in any criminal, extradition, or administrative proceedings.
Additionally, the applicant has filed for an interlocutory injunction to restrain the defendants from removing him from Ghana’s jurisdiction pending the final determination of the legality of his arrest, detention, and interrogation.
