Abu Trica: Swedru Businessman Remanded Into Custody After Latest Court Appearance, Faces New Charges
- Abu Trica's legal woes have deepened after NACOC operatives re-arrested him following his court appearance on Monday, January 26, 2026
- New reports indicate that the embattled socialite has been hit with new charges and will remain in police custody until his next court appearance
- The latest development in Abu Trica's legal case over alleged fraud-related crimes has triggered mixed reactions from Ghanaians on social media
Embattled Ghanaian businessman and socialite Abu Trica has been remanded into police custody following his court appearance on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, after being re-arrested by operatives from the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).
Source: TikTok
On Monday, January 26, 2026, the socialite and his alleged two accomplices, Lord Eshun and Bernard Aidoo, were discharged after their appearance at the Gbese District Court.
However, moments after the court issued its directive, operatives from the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) stormed the premises and re-arrested Abu Trica and his alleged accomplices and took them back to their headquarters.
Abu Trica, whose real name is Frederick Kumi, alias Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, had been in police custody since December 11, 2025, since he was arrested in a joint operation between the FBI and Ghanaian security agencies.
According to an unsealed US Justice Department indictment, he is facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and a forfeiture specification.
Abu is facing up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted in the US for his alleged crimes.
The TikTok video of Abu Trica's arrest after his discharge is below:
Why was Abu Trica arrested?
In a press statement released after his arrest, the Justice Department alleged that Abu Trica was a member of a criminal syndicate that targeted elderly victims in the US in romance scam schemes.
The syndicate had reportedly been operating since 2023 and had defrauded its unsuspecting victims out of more than $8 million.
Abu Trica and his alleged accomplices reportedly used Artificial Intelligence (AI) software to assume false identities and form close personal relationships with their victims.
The group allegedly gained their victims’ trust to obtain money and valuables, often targeting individuals through social media and online dating platforms under false pretences.
It added that, after gaining the victims' trust, they requested money for urgent needs, including medical treatment, travel expenses, or investment opportunities.
Abu Trica was allegedly part of the individuals who distributed the alleged criminal proceeds once gained from the US to Ghana and other countries.
The FBI Cleveland Division reportedly conducted the investigation into the crime syndicate with support from the Attorney General’s Office, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Cyber Security Authority (CSA), the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
Abu Trica's girlfriend and baby mama, Abena Oforiwaa, popularly known as Queenie, was also reportedly apprehended by security agencies to assist with investigations.
She was eventually released from custody following the intervention of Ghanaian lawyer and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor and his firm.
Abu Trica faces new charges after remand
According to new reports, Abu Trica was remanded into police custody until his next hearing after appearing before the Gbese District Court on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.
His alleged accomplices, Lord Eshun and Bernard Aidoo, were reportedly released from custody days after the state discontinued its case against them.
Source: Facebook
Reports indicated that fresh charges had been filed against Abu Trica and that he was likely to be extradited to the US to face a court for his alleged crimes.
The TikTok video detailing Abu Trica's remand and new charges is below:
Abu Trica's remand, new charges stir reactions
YEN.com.gh has gathered some comments from social media users below:
Don Qweku - Spyda commented:
"Asem ben koraa nie ah."
Kweku Hayford said:
"Atanfo beko low battery."
Yvonne Tachie-Menson wrote:
"Abu Trica amanehunu Part 3&4."
Don Size commented:
"Bro should just let them have everything and start all over again. He will be fine. They’ve done this to me before. It was years ago."
Abu Trica's re-arrest after court video surfaces
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that a video of Abu Trica's re-arrest by NACOC operatives after his court appearance emerged on social media.
In a video, the Swedru-based socialite and his friends were escorted from the courtroom into vehicles by armed men while they were still handcuffed.
Footage of the moment Abu Trica was re-arrested triggered mixed reactions from many Ghanaians on social media.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
