Kakum wildlife guard Richard Otwey shot dead during patrol, police hunt suspect

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Forestry Commission wildlife guard Richard Otwey, 58, has been shot dead during a patrol in the Kakum conservation area, with one man in police custody and another being sought in connection with the shooting.

ACCRA, Ghana – A 58-year-old Forestry Commission wildlife guard has been shot dead during a patrol in the Kakum conservation area in Ghana’s Central Region, with police holding one man and searching for another in connection with the shooting.

Richard Otwey, who was attached to the Kakum Wildlife Division, was patrolling with two other guards on Saturday, 22 August, when they encountered two men allegedly hunting illegally near Assin Kruwa in the Assin South District, according to accounts attributed to the Central North Police Command.

Police allege that one of the men produced a single-barrel firearm and fired at the patrol team, striking Otwey in the chest. He died at the scene. The fatal shooting has drawn attention to the risks faced by frontline wildlife personnel enforcing conservation laws in protected forests, particularly when encounters involve people who may be armed.

What police say happened during the Kakum patrol

According to the police account reported by AdomOnline and MyJoyOnline, Otwey and two colleagues were carrying out a routine patrol when they encountered two men identified as Bukari Abudu and John Mensah. The men were allegedly hunting illegally inside the protected area.

Police said the guards attempted to apprehend them before Abudu allegedly produced a single-barrel gun and fired at the patrol team, hitting Otwey in the chest.

Otwey died from his injuries at the scene, according to the reports. The allegation that Abudu fired the fatal shot has not been tested in court. Nukunya is therefore reporting it as a police allegation and not as an established finding of criminal responsibility.

One man detained as police search for another

Following the shooting, the two remaining wildlife guards pursued the men through the forest.

The patrol team apprehended John Mensah, who was subsequently handed over to police and was reported to be assisting investigators. The reports do not establish that Mensah fired the weapon or that he has been convicted of any offence arising from the incident.

Police said Bukari Abudu escaped deeper into the forest and remained at large at the time of the latest reports. Police and forestry personnel have been searching for him, and authorities have appealed for information that could assist in locating him.

Police recover firearm and spent cartridge

Investigators subsequently visited the scene as part of the inquiry into Otwey’s death.

According to the police account reported by AdomOnline, investigators examined a location approximately 60 metres from the boundary of the reserve and recovered a spent cartridge, footprints and a single-barrel firearm believed to be connected to the shooting.

The recovery of the firearm forms part of the continuing investigation. The available reports do not establish whether forensic examination has conclusively linked the weapon to the fatal shot. Central North Regional Crime Officer Chief Superintendent Edmund Agyemang Badu confirmed the killing but said police could not disclose further details while investigations were continuing.

Otwey’s body was taken to the Abura Dunkwa Government Hospital Mortuary for preservation and post-mortem examination. No post-mortem findings had been reported at the time of publication.

Who was Richard Otwey?

Otwey was a wildlife resource guard attached to the Kakum Wildlife Division of Ghana’s Forestry Commission.

His work placed him among frontline personnel responsible for patrol and protection within one of Ghana’s most important conservation landscapes. The reports reviewed by Nukunya identify him as 58 years old but provide limited further biographical information. Nukunya has therefore not added unverified details about his family, length of service or career.

His death occurred while he was performing official patrol duties, according to the police account.

Why Kakum matters to Ghana

The incident occurred within a protected landscape of significant ecological and economic importance.

The Forestry Commission says the Kakum Conservation Area, which comprises Kakum National Park and the Assin Attandanso Resource Reserve, covers approximately 350 square kilometres of moist evergreen forest.

The conservation area supports a diverse range of wildlife. The Forestry Commission lists about 40 species of larger mammals, approximately 200 recorded bird species and hundreds of butterfly species within the landscape.

Species associated with the protected area include forest elephants, bongo, red river hogs and several primates. Kakum is also one of Ghana’s most prominent ecotourism destinations, known internationally for its rainforest and canopy walkway.

Its protection therefore has implications for biodiversity conservation, tourism, surrounding communities and Ghana’s natural heritage.

Illegal hunting and protection of wildlife

The shooting occurred after the patrol encountered men police allege were hunting illegally.

Wildlife protection officers are responsible for enforcing conservation rules within protected areas, placing them at the frontline of efforts to prevent illegal exploitation of wildlife and forest resources.

The Forestry Commission’s Wildlife Division is responsible for protecting and managing Ghana’s wildlife protected areas and promoting wildlife conservation.

Its work also involves communities surrounding protected landscapes, where conservation authorities have promoted alternative livelihoods and other initiatives intended to reduce pressure on wildlife resources.

Otwey’s death illustrates the potential danger faced by officers when suspected illegal hunters encountered during patrols are armed.

The reports reviewed by Nukunya do not establish how frequently Kakum patrol officers encounter armed people, what protective equipment was available to Otwey and his colleagues, or whether the Forestry Commission has ordered an operational safety review following the shooting.

Nukunya has therefore not drawn conclusions on those questions without further evidence.

What investigators still need to establish

Several elements of the case remain subject to police investigation.

Investigators will need to establish the precise circumstances surrounding the encounter, determine the roles of the individuals involved and examine the firearm, cartridge and other physical evidence reportedly recovered from the scene.

The investigation will also need to establish whether other people were involved.

Police have not announced a conviction or final determination of criminal responsibility.

That distinction is important. The fact that a person has been detained or is being sought by police does not establish guilt.

Search for Abudu continues

Police efforts to locate Bukari Abudu were continuing at the time of the latest reports.

Authorities have appealed to residents and members of the public with information about his whereabouts to assist investigators. Mensah, meanwhile, was reported to be in police custody assisting with the investigation.

For the Forestry Commission, Otwey’s death also places renewed attention on the risks confronting personnel responsible for protecting Ghana’s wildlife and forest reserves. The immediate priority remains the criminal investigation and search for the man police want to question in connection with the fatal shooting.