The Ministry of the Interior has announced the revocation of all existing firearm licences nationwide, effective Tuesday, June 23, 2026, as part of a sweeping overhaul of Ghana’s firearms regulatory framework.
Under the new regime, all firearm holders will be required to reapply for their licences and undergo a more rigorous vetting process aimed at strengthening gun control 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 him, the new licensing requirements will include mandatory mental health assessments, drug screening, and structured firearms training for all applicants before licences are granted.
The Minister 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 some individuals committing suicide with fire arms that are registered. Because of that from this afternoon, all permits that have been granted to any individual is hereby revoked.
“We are revoking them and we are opening a window where everyone will have to come forward again to re-register their guns because we have changed the procedure. We have realised that there is a short gap in the registration procedure that we’ve been using,” he said
As part of the government’s efforts to tighten firearms regulation, Mr. Mubarak 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 firearms possession and improve public safety across the country.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
