The Forestry Commission (FC) has condemned the murder of one of its personnel, Mr. Raphael Ganyo, who served as a Resource Guard with the Wildlife Division at the Kalakpa Resource Reserve located in the Volta Region.
Mr. Ganyo was tragically shot and killed during the early hours of Tuesday, January 6, 2026, while conducting a patrol close to the Zitoe Camp within the reserve.
According to the Commission, at approximately 6:00 a.m., a patrol team responding to a suspected poaching incident came across an armed individual concealed in dense vegetation near the reserve’s boundary.
During the operation, Mr. Ganyo was shot in the chest by the suspected poacher and was declared dead at the scene.
The incident was promptly reported to the Ghana Police Service. Investigations at the crime scene were carried out, and the body of the deceased was transported to the Ho Regional Hospital morgue for an autopsy.
The Commission states that it is collaborating closely with the police to identify and apprehend the perpetrator.
Mr. Raphael Ganyo was born on March 15, 1997, and is from Mafi Kumasi in the Volta Region.
He became a member of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission on November 1, 2021, as a Resource Guard and worked in the Law Enforcement Unit until his tragic death.
The Forestry Commission has therefore expressed its deepest condolences to the family, colleagues, and loved ones of Mr. Ganyo, characterising him as a committed officer who lost his life in the line of duty while safeguarding Ghana’s natural heritage.
The Commission has pledged to pursue the case to its logical conclusion.
