Over 15 fully armed men, believed to be National Security operatives, this morning surrounded and effectively shut down the offices of the Forestry Commission in the Bekwai District of the Ashanti Region.

The unexpected and forceful presence disrupted official duties for the day, leaving staff and onlookers in a state of shock and confusion.

According to bewildered officials on the scene, the National Security operatives arrived unannounced and informed them they were acting "by orders from above" to close the offices and take possession of the keys.

The precise reasons for this drastic measure remain officially undisclosed, fuelling intense speculation.

This extraordinary intervention comes against a backdrop of heightened risks and threats faced by Forestry Commission officials in recent months.

Sources within the Commission, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation, revealed that staff have been under significant pressure and even direct threats for their active role in arresting illegal miners within the vital Oda River Forest Reserve.

The Oda River Forest Reserve, located primarily in the Ashanti Region, is a critical ecological zone, serving as a watershed for the Oda River, a major water source for many communities, including the Obuasi Municipality.

For years, this reserve, like many others across Ghana, has been a hotspot for illegal small-scale mining, locally known as "galamsey".

These operations, often heavily capitalised and sometimes involving foreign nationals, have caused extensive environmental devastation, including deforestation, pollution of water bodies with mercury and cyanide, and destruction of arable land.

Forestry Commission personnel, alongside the Rapid Response Units (RRUs) of the Forest Services Division, are at the forefront of efforts to combat galamsey.

Their work often involves dangerous confrontations with armed illegal miners.

Reports from late 2024 and early 2025 have detailed instances where Forestry Commission officers sustained gunshot and machete wounds during anti-galamsey raids, particularly in forest reserves like Offin Shelterbelt and Obosomkese.

In some cases, illegal miners have been reported to be heavily armed, turning protected areas into perilous battlegrounds.