A routine patrol in the Kakum Forest Reserve ended in tragedy on Saturday, August 22, 2026, after a wildlife resource guard was allegedly shot dead by a suspected poacher in the Assin Kruwa area of the Central Region.
The deceased, 58-year-old Richard Otwey, was attached to the Kakum Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission. He was on patrol with two other guards when the incident occurred.
According to the Central North Police Command, the patrol team encountered two men allegedly engaged in illegal hunting inside the protected forest.
The guards reportedly attempted to arrest the men, identified as Bukari Abudu and John Mensah. However, Abudu allegedly pulled out a single-barrel gun and opened fire.
Otwey was hit in the chest and died at the scene.
Following the shooting, the patrol team pursued the suspects through the forest and managed to arrest Mensah.
He was later handed over to the police and is assisting with investigations.
Abudu, however, escaped into the forest and remained at large at the time of the latest update. Police and forestry authorities have since intensified efforts to locate and arrest him.
Investigators who visited the scene, located about 60 metres from the reserve boundary and beneath a wawa tree, reportedly recovered a spent cartridge, footprints and the single-barrel firearm allegedly used in the attack.
The Central North Regional Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent Edmund Agyemang Badu, confirmed the incident but declined to provide further details because investigations are ongoing.
“The Police can confirm the killing, but we cannot comment further as investigations are ongoing,” Chief Superintendent Agyemang Badu stated.
Otwey’s body has been conveyed to the Abura Dunkwa Government Hospital Mortuary for preservation and a post-mortem examination.
The incident has renewed concerns about the dangers faced by personnel protecting Ghana’s forest reserves, particularly in areas where illegal hunting and other unlawful activities continue to threaten wildlife and forest guards.
The police have appealed to the public to provide information that could lead to the arrest of Abudu as the manhunt continues.
