Tension erupted at the Bekwai District office of the Forestry Commission in the Ashanti Region after more than fifteen armed men stormed the facility, claiming to be national security operatives. The group, wielding pump-action guns and other weapons, forcibly removed staff and padlocked the offices, halting all administrative work.
Eyewitnesses said the armed men threatened the on-site security personnel and expressed anger over the Commission’s recent crackdown on illegal mining activities in the Oda River Forest Reserve. “They just walked in, heavily armed, and kicked everyone out,” a witness recounted.
Sources within the Commission believe the action was a retaliatory move tied to the arrest of illegal miners and the seizure of mining equipment in the reserve. The Forestry Commission has faced increasing threats as it intensifies efforts to dismantle illegal operations in protected areas.
However, in a phone call to journalist Erastus Asare Donkor, sources within National Security categorically denied any affiliation with the group. “The men involved in the incident are not known operatives of National Security,” a source stated.
Swift police intervention helped restore order and allowed the offices to reopen. The armed men were later escorted to the office of the Municipal Chief Executive in Bekwai for further questioning.
The incident underscores the ongoing tension between environmental enforcement agencies and illegal mining interests, with state officers facing growing resistance from unidentified, weapon-wielding groups.
