A forest guard is in critical condition after he was shot during a confrontation with suspected illegal loggers at a forest plantation in Abesewa in the Ahafo Ano South West District of the Ashanti Region.
The incident occurred when a group of armed men allegedly attempted to gain access to the plantation to harvest timber illegally.
Forest guards assigned to protect the site reportedly intercepted the suspects, leading to a violent confrontation during which one of the guards was shot.
The injured officer was rushed to the Tepa Government Hospital, where he is receiving treatment.
The Odikro of Bosomproso, Nana Yaw Gyamfi, described the attack as a serious threat to ongoing efforts to restore degraded forest reserves through a reforestation project established under a public-private partnership.
According to him, the plantation has made significant progress over the years, with many of the trees approaching maturity.
However, he said that illegal logging has intensified over the past year, threatening to reverse the gains made through the initiative.
“The illegal loggers are becoming a major threat to our community. They are destroying a forest we have invested heavily in to restore. The worrying aspect is that they are heavily armed and continue to threaten the lives of those protecting the plantation,” Nana Yaw Gyamfi said.
He explained that forest guards had been deployed to safeguard the plantation from encroachers but came under attack while attempting to stop the suspects from felling trees.
Expressing concern over the increasing boldness of illegal loggers, the traditional leader appealed to the government to strengthen security around the plantation to protect both personnel and the investment made in restoring the forest.
“If the government does not deploy military personnel to protect the forest, the Tree for Life initiative will achieve little. We will simply be wasting the huge investments made in restoring these forests,” he warned.
Nana Yaw Gyamfi further called on the security agencies to intensify operations against illegal logging syndicates and ensure those responsible for the shooting are arrested and prosecuted.
Police have launched investigations into the attack, while efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the suspects.
