Karen Baaba Sam, the Ghanaian woman who made headlines in January 2025 after revealing years of alleged physical, verbal, and emotional abuse at the hands of her ex-partner, Nana Kwadwo Adjei, has taken a bold step once again, as she has petitioned the Acting Chief Justice of the Republic, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, calling for urgent intervention against what she describes as continued abuse—this time executed through the judicial system.
In a four-page petition dated July 1, 2025, and titled “Reminder on Previous Petitions and Further Petition Against Continued Abuse by Mr. Kwadwo Adjei and Some Judges,” Ms. Baaba Sam alleges that her ex-partner is exploiting certain rulings and court processes to perpetuate psychological harm against her and her six-year-old daughter.
Petition sent to top state actors
The petition has been copied to the President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama; the Judicial Council of Ghana; the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine; as well as registrars of two Accra High Courts, Nana Kwadwo Adjei himself, and BLG Practice, a legal firm located at the Airport Residential Area in Accra.
Karen’s plea for justice is not new. Her initial petition, submitted on June 4, 2025, reportedly recounted in detail her harrowing experiences of domestic and child abuse.
This included documentary evidence of what she describes as biased judicial conduct that has emboldened her ex-partner to continue inflicting psychological harm under the cloak of legal process.
Unanswered petition, escalating harm
Despite being assured by court officials of a swift response, Karen says she has received no feedback for over four weeks. “My case of grievous domestic abuses and the custody of my little daughter of 6 years old remains stalled and uncertain,” she laments.
Meanwhile, she alleges that Mr. Adjei has taken advantage of this judicial limbo. On June 25, 2025, Justice Kwasi Agyenim Boateng of the High Court (General Jurisdiction 1), Accra, issued an order which Karen says enabled Mr. Adjei to publish defamatory content and images of her in the media on July 1, 2025.
Judges enabling abuse
Ms. Baaba Sam’s petition reads like a distress call from someone who feels cornered not only by her former partner but also by the very legal system meant to protect her.
“Over the past year, I have been subjected to such rulings, judge after judge,” she asserts, “except for just a few who have stood their ground.”
She goes further to allege that these few impartial judges have been directly threatened—sometimes in open court—by Mr. Adjei.
She recounts that even officials from the Judicial Training Institute have reportedly made threatening calls to some of these judges.
In one shocking claim, Karen recounts observing a dark grey Toyota Land Cruiser with registration GM 1152-21 visiting Mr. Adjei’s residence.
Upon investigation, she discovered the vehicle was registered to the Judicial Service of Ghana, deepening her suspicion of high-level interference.
A relationship that turned violent
Karen Baaba Sam’s public journey began with her bombshell revelations on January 20, 2025.
She described how her relationship with Nana Kwadwo Adjei, which began in 2016 with affection and promise, quickly turned dark.
By 2018, when she became pregnant, the emotional abuse had begun.
Things took a violent turn in December that year when Mr. Adjei allegedly beat her while she was pregnant.
“I was more scared for my unborn child than for myself,” she recounted.
That first assault was followed by years of repeated beatings, threats, and emotional trauma.
Karen’s brother filed a report with the East Legon Police, but no action was taken.
Mr. Adjei, she says, often boasted of his influence within law enforcement, which she believes contributed to her failure to secure justice.
A custody battle and an alleged orchestrated robbery
The breaking point came in April 2023, after a public humiliation involving Mr. Adjei’s new girlfriend.
Later that evening, he allegedly beat Karen in front of their daughter and assaulted two visiting family friends from Germany who tried to stop him.
Karen finally left the relationship in December 2023. But it didn’t end there.
Mr. Adjei allegedly demanded the return of gifts and even their daughter’s school vehicle. In February 2024, on the very night Karen moved into a new residence, she was robbed at gunpoint.
Strangely, the only item not taken—a necklace—was the very item Mr. Adjei demanded she return the following day.
This coincidence led authorities to suspect someone close to her had orchestrated the attack. She was subsequently assigned police protection.
Judicial delays, emotional toll
Now embroiled in over 15 separate cases from the District Court to the Supreme Court, Karen says she is emotionally and financially drained.
She describes her legal journey as one marred by deliberate delays and harmful rulings.
“Nothing has moved forward but instead backward,” she asserts.
She highlights one particularly alarming moment in the Supreme Court on March 26, 2025, where she was admonished to safeguard the welfare of her daughter.
“But how can I, when the system is enabling my abuser?” she asks.
Request for urgent judicial action
Karen’s July 1 petition closes with an urgent appeal: that the Acting Chief Justice take decisive action.
She calls for an investigation into the conduct of Justice Kwasi Agyenim Boateng and demands that he be recused from any cases involving her or Mr. Adjei.
“This judge has more than demonstrated his bias and prejudice against me,” she argues, citing the June 25 order as one example of a pattern of judicial abuse that places her and her daughter in harm’s way.
Karen also attached to her petition records of legal processes, media publications, and rulings made since her initial complaint in June.
A National Conversation on Judicial Integrity and Gender-Based Abuse
Karen Baaba Sam’s ordeal highlights a painful intersection of domestic violence and judicial accountability.
Her story has captured public attention not only for its emotional gravity but also for the serious institutional questions it raises.
At a time when Ghana continues to champion gender equity and protection for survivors of abuse, this case stands as a litmus test for the integrity of the country’s justice system.
If Karen’s claims are substantiated, it could expose systemic failings and prompt widespread calls for reform within the judiciary.
As the nation awaits a response from Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, the stakes could not be higher—not just for Karen Baaba Sam, but for every woman in Ghana who dares to speak out against abuse.
