A 58-year-old Wildlife Resource Guard, Richard Otwey, has been shot dead by a suspected poacher during a patrol operation at the Kakum Forest Reserve in the Assin South District of the Central Region.
Otwey, who was attached to the Kakum Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, was on patrol with two other forestry guards when they reportedly encountered two men hunting inside the protected forest.
The incident occurred on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at the Assin Kruwa portion of the reserve. Police received information about the shooting at about 8:25am and proceeded to the scene alongside officials of the Forestry Commission's Wildlife Division.
On arrival, the team found Otwey's body lying under a wawa tree, about 60 metres from the boundary of the reserve, with a gunshot wound to the chest. A search of the area led to the recovery of a spent cartridge, footprints and a single-barrel gun, which have been preserved as exhibits.
According to preliminary police enquiries, the forestry guards had attempted to arrest the two men, identified as Bukari Abudu and John Mensah, after allegedly finding them hunting in the reserve without lawful authority. Bukari Abudu is said to have pulled out a single-barrel gun and fired at Otwey, killing him instantly. The two men reportedly fled into the forest, but the patrol team pursued them and managed to arrest John Mensah. Bukari Abudu remains at large, with police efforts under way to apprehend him.
Otwey's body was subsequently conveyed to the Abura Dunkwa Government Hospital's morgue for preservation and further examination.
The Central North Regional Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent Edmund Agyemang Badu, confirmed the incident but declined to comment further while investigations continue. "The Police can confirm the killing, but we cannot comment further as investigations are ongoing," he said.
Police are appealing to the public for any information that could lead to the arrest of the fleeing suspect.
