Armed men attacked a Forestry Commission officer in the Offin shelterbelt reserve

Unidentified armed persons attacked a member of the Rapid Response Team of the Forestry Commission in the Offin Shelter Belt Reserve in the Ashanti Region.

Fuseini Sulemana, the victim, was ambushed and severely injured while on an operation to clamp down on illegal mining activities in the reserve.

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The District Manager of the Forest Services Division in Nkawie, Abraham Essel, told the media that the team had mobilized on Sunday, March 23, to investigate reports of illegal mining (galamsey) near the Botrampa community in Compartment 5 of the Offin Shelterbelt.

They encountered a barricade manned by armed individuals while patrolling Apempeh, another hotspot for illegal mining.

He stated that, “As the team attempted to enter the forest, they were ambushed. In the confrontation, one officer, Fuseini Sulemana, who was documenting the incident, was slashed on the knee with a machete, leaving him critically injured.”

Sulemana was rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital immediately for emergency treatment.

Essel added, “The issue is that the task force is not ready to disclose the identity of whoever has employed them. The task force members are just security guards; the actual people mining are on the field. However, the task force will not allow access to the mining site to get further information. The best they can do is request your number and tell you that their bosses will call you.”

Read more: 56 illegal miners arrested at Tarkwa-Nsuaem

He also said that Sulemana would require two surgeries for his condition.

He said, “His condition is stable, but according to the orthopedic team managing the case, it is a medical emergency, so they have to undertake two surgeries before they can make him stable.”

No arrest has been made yet; however, authorities have launched an investigation into the attack.