Private lawyer Martin Kpebu has alleged that during his short detention at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), he was sent to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), formerly the BNI, in what he describes as an improper use of state security agencies.
Speaking on Channel One’s Newsroom on Thursday, December 4, Kpebu said a minor verbal disagreement with a military officer at the OSP headquarters escalated into what he called an “unlawful” transfer to the NIB. He added that the situation was so poorly managed that his lawyers were initially unaware of his whereabouts.
Kpebu criticized the involvement of the NIB, describing it as an overreach of state power. “Can you imagine being taken to the BNI over words with a soldier? If it were a case of robbery or major corruption, they wouldn’t need the BNI—they would need ‘super BNI.’ This was simply a case of a soldier abusing a citizen and the citizen standing up for his rights,” he said.
He further suggested that the incident highlights a troubling tendency for the OSP to use powerful security agencies in ways that exceed their intended mandate. Kpebu also questioned the competence of Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, along with OSP officials Sammy Darko and Lead Investigator Albert Akurugu, in managing the institution.
The remarks follow Kpebu’s December 3 visit to the OSP, where he went to assist in investigating corruption allegations he had made against Agyebeng. He said he was briefly detained after the confrontation with the military officer before investigators could speak with him, and was subsequently released.
