Abdul-Wahab Hanan, the former Chief Executive of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), has petitioned the High Court to reconsider and annul a freezing order imposed on four properties associated with him.
He contends that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has made a legal error and improperly included assets that he either acquired prior to his appointment or does not possess.
In his affidavit, Hanan enumerated the properties impacted by the order dated October 21, 2025:
1. Three-bedroom house, GPS Address NS-056-9690, Kpalsi, Tamale
2. Unfinished storey building, GPS Address NR-151-7759, Gumani, adjacent to Baobab Guest House, Tamale
2. Unfinished storey building, GPS Address NR-151-7759, Gumani, adjacent to Baobab Guest House, Tamale
3. 0.27-acre plot, GPS Address NS-320-6111, Estate Junction, Dagomba Street, Tamale
4. 0.29-acre plot, GPS Address NR-000-8199, Workers College, Tamale
4. 0.29-acre plot, GPS Address NR-000-8199, Workers College, Tamale
Hanan asserts that EOCO obtained the freezing order ex parte, which violates his constitutional right to a hearing, and did so without fulfilling the statutory requirements outlined in sections 33–35 of the Economic and Organised Crime Act, 2010 (Act 804).
The former CEO of NAFCO argues that EOCO acted irrationally by freezing assets that have no connection to his tenure or any alleged misconduct. He points out that the three-bedroom house in Kpalsi was acquired in 2011 and completed in 2013, years before he took office at NAFCO. Hanan emphasized that the house was the venue for part of his Islamic marriage ceremony and contended that it cannot be classified as “tainted property” or associated with any alleged illicit gains.
Hanan additionally asserts that EOCO incorrectly assigned ownership of two other properties to him:
An unfinished storey building in Gumani, in which he claims to have no interest.
A 0.27-acre plot at Estate Junction, Tamale, which he asserts belongs to Al-Qarni Enterprise.
He further stated that the land was transferred in 2022 to OSGAF Furniture Enterprise, well before EOCO initiated its investigations. He maintains that these properties were frozen without “any legal or factual basis whatsoever.”
Hanan further asserts that there were procedural infringements, stating that after his arrest on June 25, 2025, EOCO held him for a duration of two weeks and conducted searches of his residences in Accra and Tamale without obtaining a warrant, thereby violating his right to privacy.
He contends that he was only informed of the freezing order on November 26, 2025, while he was reporting to EOCO as part of his bail conditions, despite the legal requirement for timely notification.
Hanan argues that EOCO has not demonstrated that the properties in question were tainted, associated with serious crimes, or suspected to have been obtained through illicit means. He insists that the freezing order violates his constitutional rights to property, privacy, a fair hearing, and the presumption of innocence.
The High Court is set to consider the motion to review the freezing order on December 18, 2025.
