Ex-Buffer Stock CEO Challenges EOCO’s ‘Unlawful’ Asset Freeze in Court

Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Abdul-Wahab Hanan, has filed a motion at the High Court seeking to overturn a freezing order placed on four properties allegedly linked to him.

Hanan argues that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) acted unlawfully, freezing assets he either acquired before assuming office or does not own.

According to the affidavit supporting his motion, the properties affected by EOCO’s October 21, 2025 order include:

• A three-bedroom house, GPS: NS-056-9690, Kpalsi, Tamale
• An uncompleted storey building, GPS: NR-151-7759, Gumani, near Baobab Guest House
• A 0.27-acre plot, GPS: NS-320-6111, Estate Junction, Dagomba Street, Tamale
• A 0.29-acre plot, GPS: NR-000-8199, Workers College, Tamale

Claims of Error in Law and Wrongful Attribution

Hanan insists EOCO obtained the freezing order ex parte, denying him the constitutional right to be heard and failing to meet requirements under Sections 33–35 of Act 804 (Economic and Organised Crime Act, 2010).

He maintains that some of the frozen properties have no connection to his tenure at NAFCO or to any alleged offences.

Properties acquired before public office

He says the three-bedroom Kpalsi residence was purchased in 2011 and completed by 2013, years before his NAFCO appointment. The property, he noted, was even used during his Islamic marriage ceremony, and therefore cannot be tagged as “tainted.”

Properties he says are not his

Hanan further argues that EOCO inaccurately assigned ownership of two properties:

The uncompleted storey building at Gumani

The 0.27-acre plot at Estate Junction, which he says belongs to Al-Qarni Enterprise and was later transferred to OSGAF Furniture Enterprise in 2022

He insists EOCO froze these assets “without any legal or factual basis.”

Allegations of Rights Violations

The former CEO claims that EOCO:

• Arrested him on June 25, 2025,
• Detained him for two weeks, and
• Searched his residences in Accra and Tamale without a warrant,
• — actions he says breached his constitutional rights to privacy and fair treatment.

He also contends EOCO only notified him of the freezing order on November 26, 2025, despite the law mandating prompt notice.

Hanan maintains that EOCO has failed to prove the properties are tainted, linked to criminal proceeds, or connected to any serious offence.

Court Hearing Scheduled for December 18

The High Court is expected to hear Hanan’s motion seeking to set aside the freezing order on December 18, 2025.