A 58-year-old Wildlife Resource Guard has been shot and killed by a suspected poacher during a routine patrol in the Kakum Forest Reserve in the Central Region.
The deceased, Richard Otwey, was attached to the Kakum Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission and was on patrol with two other forestry guards on Saturday, August 22, 2026, when they encountered two men allegedly hunting illegally in the protected forest.
The incident occurred around the Assin Kruwa section of the reserve in the Assin South District.
According to the Central North Police Command, the guards attempted to apprehend the suspects, identified as Bukari Abudu and John Mensah, after intercepting them during the patrol.
Police said Abudu allegedly pulled out a single-barrel gun and fired at the guards, hitting Otwey in the chest.
He died at the scene from his injuries.
The patrol team pursued the suspects through the forest and managed to apprehend John Mensah, who has since been taken into police custody to assist with investigations.
Abudu, however, managed to escape deeper into the forest and remains at large, with Police mounting a search for him.
Investigators who visited the scene, located about 60 metres from the reserve boundary, recovered a spent cartridge, footprints and the single-barrel firearm believed to have been used in the shooting.
Central North Regional Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent Edmund Agyemang Badu, confirmed the incident but declined to provide further details, citing ongoing investigations.
The body of Otwey has been deposited at the Abura Dunkwa Government Hospital Mortuary for preservation and post-mortem examination.
Police have urged anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of Abudu to contact the authorities and assist with the ongoing investigation.
