The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has called for the prosecution of individuals who masqueraded as National Security operatives and closed the Bekwai District Forestry Commission Office.
In a statement on Facebook on Monday, July 28, 2025, the minister said such “acts of lawlessness should not be allowed to fester.”
According to him, there is a need to preserve public peace and the credibility of institutions like National Security, and he was appalled by the development.
“Earlier today, I received reports on the brazen and unlawful closure of the Bekwai District Office of the Forestry Commission by persons masquerading as National Security operatives in the Ashanti Region.
“As Sector Minister, I am deeply appalled by this incident and strongly condemn the invasion in no uncertain terms,” the minister wrote.
The minister therefore called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those behind the incident, describing it as “brazen and unlawful.”
“Indeed, such acts of lawlessness undermine the rule of law, threaten public peace and tarnish the integrity of institutions like the National Security — and must not be allowed to fester.
“On that note, I call on all relevant law enforcement agencies to swiftly apprehend and prosecute all those involved in the said illegality. This will serve as a strong deterrent to other unscrupulous persons who may harbour similar intentions,” the statement concluded.
The minister’s call comes in response to reports of the closure of the Bekwai District Office of the Forestry Commission by individuals who masqueraded as National Security operatives on Monday, July 28, 2025.
According to multiple sources, the invaders besieged the office in protest of actions by the Forestry Commission against illegal mining activities in the area.
Clad in black attire and wielding weapons, the supposed National Security operatives barged into the compound of the Bekwai District Office of the Forestry Commission and locked up the premises, claiming it was an “order from above.”
Meanwhile, the National Security Coordinator has debunked the group’s affiliation with National Security, stating that National Security did not authorize the operation.
National Security has also ordered the immediate arrest of the individuals who perpetrated the act, emphasizing that it will not condone such illegality.
GA
