Forestry Commission's Bekwai office mysteriously shut down by masked armed men

Tension has mounted in Bekwai following a dramatic early morning incident in which heavily armed men, alleged to be National Security operatives, stormed the Forestry Commission’s District Office and forcefully shut it down.

According to confirmed reports, the masked individuals—numbering between 15 and 20—arrived around 8:30 AM in a convoy made up of a pickup truck and a Land Cruiser.

Witnesses say the men, who wore no identifiable insignia but carried high-powered weapons, locked the premises with their own padlocks and took away the original keys.

The motives behind the sudden operation remain unclear.

However, sources within the Forestry Commission suggest the move may be connected to the recent arrest of illegal miners operating in forest reserves within the Offinso, Bekwai, and Nkawie jurisdictions.

The Bekwai District Manager, who received intel shortly before the raid, has since been making frantic calls to ascertain whether the operation was sanctioned by the National Security Secretariat.

“At this point, we cannot confirm if this is an official operation or the work of rogue elements,” a source close to the manager disclosed.

The incident has raised significant concern among staff and local stakeholders, with fears of a broader clampdown or retaliatory actions in the region’s already volatile forest zones.

The Forestry Commission and National Security are yet to issue an official statement.

Meanwhile, workers have been left stranded as investigations continue.

This is a developing story.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith