Poacher remanded over murder of Kakum National Park guard

A 54-year-old suspected poacher, John Mensah, has been remanded into police custody over the alleged killing of a forest guard at the Kakum National Park in the Central Region.

Mensah, a resident of Assin Betwease in the Assin South District, was arraigned before the Nyankumasi Ahenkro District Court on two counts of murder and unauthorised entry into a protected forest area.

His plea was not taken when he first appeared before the court.

According to a report by graphic.com.gh on August 26, 2026, the prosecution told the court that investigations into the case were still ongoing and requested additional time.

Presiding judge Peter Anongdare subsequently ordered Mensah to remain in police custody for 14 days.

He is expected to reappear before the court on September 11, 2026.

The incident occurred at about 6 p.m. on Friday, August 21, 2026, when forest guards were conducting a routine patrol to check for illegal activities in the Kakum National Park.

According to an official situational report by the Forestry Commission, the patrol team discovered signs of a route allegedly being used by poachers and took strategic positions after hearing gunshots from the direction of the suspected activity.

At about 5:15 a.m. the following morning, the guards reportedly spotted two lights moving towards them.

The guards ordered the persons to surrender, but the suspects allegedly fled into the forest in separate directions.

Wildlife guard shot dead during patrol in Kakum

One of them reportedly abandoned a sack before turning back and firing at Richard Otwey, a forest guard who was pursuing him.

Otwey was hit by the gunfire and died at the scene.

Mensah was later arrested and, during questioning, allegedly identified Bukari Abudu, also a resident of Assin Betwease, as the person who fired the shot.

Abudu remains at large, with the police and the Forestry Commission continuing efforts to locate him.

Investigators who searched the area after the shooting retrieved two single-barrel guns believed to have been carried by the two suspects.

They also found the remains of animals believed to have been killed by the suspected poachers, including five brush-tailed porcupines, two African giant rats, a Maxwell duiker, a snail, two Mona monkeys and an olive colobus monkey.

Other items recovered from the area included two machetes, a cooking pot, two sachets of tomato paste and a bottle of water, suggesting that the suspects may have spent an extended period in the forest.

The incident was reported to the Nyankumasi Police, who later entered the park with the Park Manager and other Forestry Commission officials to retrieve Otwey’s body.

His remains have since been deposited at the Abura Dunkwa Government Hospital mortuary.

MRA/EB

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