Forestry Commission condemns killing of ranger at Kakum

The Forestry Commission (FC) has strongly condemned the killing of Senior Ranger Richard Otwey during an anti-poaching operation at Kakum Conservation Area (KCA) in the Central Region. Mr Otwey was shot by a suspected poacher early Saturday morning while on a three-day patrol with three other officers from Briscoe 2 Camp near Kruwa forest community.

The commission's statement revealed that the patrol team detected an active poachers’ path and launched an ambush following gunshots in the area. At 5:15 a.m., the team spotted two torchlights and prepared to apprehend the poachers. However, the suspects fled in different directions after being ordered to surrender. As one of the suspects dropped a sack and turned around, he fired at Mr Otwey, who was following closely behind, before fleeing into the forest.

Another suspect, John Mensah, a resident of Assin Betwease in Assin South District, was later apprehended and identified as the shooter. The incident is the third in 2026 where field staff of the Wildlife Division have been shot or killed while performing their duties. The commission emphasized the killing as a severe threat to the safety of personnel protecting Ghana's forest and wildlife resources, and stated that the matter was reported to the Nyankomasi Police for further investigation.