A forest guard has been critically injured after suspected illegal loggers allegedly shot him during a confrontation at a newly established forest plantation at Abesewa in the Ahafo Ano South West District of the Ashanti Region.
The armed suspects are said to have attempted to enter the plantation to fell trees illegally but were confronted by forest guards tasked with protecting the area.
One of the guards sustained gunshot wounds during the attack and is currently receiving medical treatment at the Tepa Government Hospital.
Speaking to Adom News, the Odikro of Bosomproso, Nana Yaw Gyamfi, said the forest plantation was established through a public-private partnership as part of efforts to restore degraded forest reserves through a reforestation initiative.
He explained that the trees have grown significantly and are nearing maturity, but suspected illegal loggers have, over the past year, been harvesting them unlawfully for commercial purposes despite several attempts to stop the practice.
“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 said the forest guards were deployed to protect the plantation, but the suspects opened fire on them during the confrontation.
Nana Yaw Gyamfi appealed to the government to deploy security personnel to support forest protection efforts in the area, warning that continued illegal logging could undermine investments made in the reforestation project.
“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 added.
The Odikro urged authorities to act swiftly to protect the plantation and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Meanwhile, police have commenced investigations into the incident and efforts are underway to arrest the suspects.
Also read:
