{
  "id": 12213291,
  "title": "I did not order Baffour Awuah’s arrest – Mustapha Gbande",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/i-did-not-order-baffour-awuahs-arrest-mustapha-gbande",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-05T19:21:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/i-did-not-order-baffour-awuahs-arrest-mustapha-gbande/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mustapha Gbande, the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has denied having issued an order for the arrest of Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah. He maintained that he only expressed his interest in the case and requested the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) boss to ensure that the politician would be arrested if necessary. Gbande stated that he was concerned about the case because he did not want people to believe they could overpower government institutions. He questioned the current situation where citizens feel they can challenge law enforcement agencies to arrest them. Gbande acknowledged that the arrest process was unfortunate but emphasized that Baffour Awuah, as a lawyer and MP, should have exercised restraint and complied with the EOCO's invitation. He criticized the MP for daring the EOCO to arrest him, arguing that such behavior could undermine the authority of state institutions. Gbande also dismissed claims that the invitation was linked to the Salomey Baffoe case or that the government was attempting to silence Baffour Awuah. He added that the NDC would not defend anyone found guilty of stealing state funds, even if the party were out of power.",
  "summary": "Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has denied ordering the arrest of Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah. He said he only expressed interest in the case and asked the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) boss to ensure that the lawmaker was arrested if necessary. “I did not […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Deputy NDC Secretary Mustapha Gbande denied ordering Baffour Awuah's arrest.",
    "Gbande only expressed interest in the case and requested EOCO to facilitate arrest if needed.",
    "Gbande criticized Awuah for daring EOCO to arrest him, questioning authority of state institutions."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Miracles Aboagye questions Mustapha Gbande’s authority to direct EOCO arrest of Manhyia South MP",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/miracles-aboagye-questions-mustapha-gbandes-authority-to-direct-eoco",
        "published": "2026-10-05T17:58:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}