Lands Minister Orders Arrest of Armed Men Behind Bekwai Forestry Office Lockdown
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has strongly condemned the forceful takeover of the Bekwai District Office of the Forestry Commission by armed individuals posing as National Security operatives.
In a statement issued on Monday, July 28, the Minister described the act as “brazen and unlawful,” calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the culprits. “These acts of lawlessness should not be allowed to fester. We must preserve public peace and the credibility of our institutions,” he wrote.
Reports indicate that a group of over fifteen men dressed in black and armed with weapons stormed the Commission’s office, locked it up, and barred staff from accessing the facility. The group reportedly claimed they were acting on “orders from above.”
Sources close to the matter suggest that the action was retaliation for the Forestry Commission’s crackdown on illegal mining in the Oda River Forest Reserve an area under the Bekwai office’s jurisdiction.
The National Security Secretariat has disowned the group, stating they are not affiliated with any official agency and labeling the action unauthorized. The National Security Coordinator has since ordered their arrest and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to upholding law and order.
Police in Bekwai have reopened the office and taken the suspects for questioning, with further investigations underway.
The incident has reignited concerns about the growing risks faced by Forestry Commission officers involved in enforcing anti-galamsey laws, especially in forest reserves under increasing threat from illegal mining.
