The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, Dr Hugh Brown, has reiterated the need for the Commission to be granted paramilitary status to enhance the protection of the country’s forest resources and ensure the safety of its field staff.

He stressed that upgrading the Commission to a paramilitary entity and equipping it with advanced weapons would better protect forest and resource guards, enabling them to effectively clamp down on criminal activities such as illegal mining, poaching, illegal logging, and illegal chainsaw operations. He noted that these activities have resulted in the killing and maiming of Commission field officers.

Dr Brown made the appeal on April 25, 2026, during the burial service of a Wildlife Division officer, Raphael Ganyo, who was shot and killed by a poacher at the Kalakpa Resource Reserve in Ho in the Volta Region on January 6, 2026.

The 28-year-old Ganyo, who joined the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission on November 1, 2021, as a resource guard, was shot in the chest by a poacher while on patrol near the Zitoe Camp of the reserve.

Until his death, he served in the Law Enforcement Unit and worked to rid the reserve of criminal elements.

Rising Attacks on Field Officers

Ganyo’s death adds to a growing list of Forestry Commission personnel who have been killed or brutally attacked by environmental criminals while on duty.

More than a dozen field officers have been killed over the past eight years, while 57 others have suffered varying degrees of injury from violent attacks.

Despite working under difficult operational and logistical constraints to protect forest reserves, national parks, and resource reserves, forest guards have increasingly become targets for illegal miners, poachers, and illegal chainsaw operators.

Records from the Forestry Services Division (FSD) indicate that at least 10 officers have been killed in confrontations with illegal miners over the past eight years, while 34 others have sustained life-threatening injuries from such attacks.

The Forestry Commission further revealed that between 2017 and 2026, 23 staff of the Wildlife Division were either killed or severely injured by poachers and illegal chainsaw operators.

Of these, four resource guards were killed by poachers, while 19 others sustained severe injuries, with some still recovering.

On January 27, 2017, Stephen Osei Yaw of the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve in the Ashanti Region was shot and killed by a poacher. Similarly, Thomas Kwaku Majam was killed on March 21, 2018, during a confrontation with a poacher at the Mole National Park in the Savannah Region.

Barely a year later, Matthew Nkuah died after being shot during a night patrol at the Bia National Park on April 3, 2019.

The Wildlife Division further reported that while many injuries resulted from attacks by poachers, others were caused by wildlife encounters, particularly elephants, while some occurred due to explosions from chemicals used by illegal miners.

Call for Paramilitary Status

Dr Brown reiterated the urgent need for the Forestry Commission to be granted paramilitary status to strengthen its operational capacity and safeguard its personnel.

He noted that the current structure exposes field officers to increasingly violent encounters with heavily armed environmental criminals, particularly illegal miners and poachers.

“The kind of arms and ammunition we are permitted to use do not match what we are confronted with in the field,” he said.

He further explained that the Commission is currently constrained by regulations requiring approval from the Ministry of Defence before accessing certain categories of weapons, which limits its effectiveness in high-risk operations.

Regulatory Review and Challenges

Dr Brown stated that efforts were underway to review the Forestry Commission Act to provide the legal mandate for carrying arms within forest reserves and wildlife parks and to enforce law and order more effectively.

He also highlighted significant logistical challenges, including inadequate patrol vehicles, motorbikes, and insufficient protective gear for field personnel.

Additionally, he disclosed that the Commission is facing a personnel deficit of about 2,400 officers, a situation that has overstretched existing staff and increased their vulnerability during operations.

He maintained that granting paramilitary status would not only allow access to advanced training but also ensure officers are better equipped to deal with the evolving nature of environmental crime.

“We believe that once we complete the legal framework through the review, we will be in a better position to protect the nation’s precious natural resources,” he said.

Honours for Fallen Officer

In recognition of his service and sacrifice, the Forestry Commission posthumously promoted Raphael Ganyo to the rank of Chief Resource Guard, the highest rank within the resource guard structure.

It also announced that the Zitoe Camp, where he was stationed before his death, would be renamed the Raphael Ganyo Camp, pending formal procedures.

As part of support to the bereaved family, the Commission has committed to employing two family members within the Wildlife Division to replace the fallen officer.

Additionally, GH¢50,000 has been donated to the family, alongside other support measures extended since the incident.

Dr Brown said these interventions reflect the Commission’s commitment to honouring fallen officers whose sacrifices underscore the dangers involved in protecting the country’s natural resources.