The Ministry of the Interior has announced the revocation of all existing firearm licences across the country, effective Tuesday, June 23, 2026, as part of a comprehensive overhaul of Ghana’s firearms regulatory framework.
Under the new policy, all firearm holders will be required to reapply for their licences and undergo a more rigorous vetting process aimed at strengthening gun control measures and enhancing public safety.
Addressing a press briefing in Accra, the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, said the reforms were necessary to address weaknesses in the current licensing system and curb the misuse of legally acquired firearms.
According to the Minister, the new licensing requirements will include mandatory mental health assessments, drug screening, and structured firearms training for all applicants before licences are issued.
Mr. Mubarak expressed concern that some individuals have used licensed firearms for purposes other than those for which they were originally authorised, posing a threat to public safety.
“In the last few months, we have seen an increase in cases of individuals committing suicide with registered firearms. Because of that, from this afternoon, all permits that have been granted to individuals are hereby revoked.
We are revoking them and opening a window for everyone to come forward and re-register their firearms because we have changed the procedure. We have realised there are gaps in the registration process that we have been using,” he stated.
As part of the government’s efforts to tighten firearm regulations, the Interior Minister also announced plans to destroy more than 2,000 firearms that have either been voluntarily surrendered or seized under the national gun amnesty programme.
The announcement comes days after the Ministry suspended the operating licence of Kantanka Security Services Limited following a shooting incident at Kwabenya that left former Dome-Kwabenya MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo, injured.
According to the Ministry, the suspension was prompted by alleged regulatory breaches involving the use of unapproved uniforms, as well as the possession and use of firearms and ammunition by some personnel of the security company while on duty.
The government says the latest measures form part of broader efforts to strengthen oversight of firearm ownership and possession, while improving public safety and security across the country.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Nhyiraba Solomon Nartey
