A 58-year-old Wildlife Resource Guard, Richard Otwey, has been shot dead while on patrol at the Kakum Forest Reserve in the Assin South District of the Central Region.
The incident occurred on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at the Assin Kruwa section of the reserve.
Otwey, a member of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, was conducting a routine patrol with two other guards when they allegedly encountered two men suspected of hunting illegally within the protected forest.
Preliminary police reports indicated that the guards attempted to apprehend the suspects, identified as Bukari Abudu and John Mensah.
It was alleged that Abudu, who was armed with a single-barrel gun, opened fire during the encounter, hitting Otwey in the chest.
He reportedly died at the scene.
The two suspects subsequently fled into the forest. The patrol team pursued them and succeeded in arresting Mensah, while Abudu remained at large.
Police and Forestry Commission officials who responded to the incident found the deceased under a wawa tree, about 60 metres from the reserve boundary.
Investigators recovered a spent cartridge, footprints and a single-barrel firearm believed to be connected to the incident. The items had been taken into custody as exhibits.
The remains of Otwey had been deposited at the Abura Dunkwa Government Hospital Mortuary pending further examination.
The Central North Regional Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent Edmund Agyemang Badu, confirmed the incident and said the arrested suspect was being held to assist with investigations.
Meanwhile, the Police have appealed to residents and anyone with credible information on the whereabouts of Abudu to come forward to assist in his arrest.
The incident highlights the risks faced by forestry and wildlife personnel who patrol Ghana’s protected forest reserves and work to combat illegal hunting activities.
