The Ministry for the Interior has revoked all firearm permits in the country and directed all licensed gun owners to undergo a fresh registration process as part of new measures to strengthen public safety.
The Sector Minister, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, who announced the directive, said it followed a worrying rise in suicides involving legally registered firearms and incidents in which licensed weapons had been used for criminal activities.
Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said all existing firearm licence holders would be required to re-register their weapons under a stricter regime that would introduce mandatory mental health assessments, drug screening, and firearms competency training.
“We have seen a new trend, very worrying and disturbing. Some affluent persons who legally registered firearms are now using them to commit suicide. In the last two months, we have seen an increase in such cases.
“Because of that, from this afternoon, all permits granted to individuals holding firearms are hereby revoked.
“We are opening a window where everyone will have to come forward again to register or re-register their guns because we have identified gaps in the current registration process,” he said.
New requirements
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak explained that under the new framework, applicants would be required to obtain certification from the Mental Health Authority, undergo drug screening supervised by the Narcotics Control Commission and complete firearms competency training before licences are issued.
“Licence holders have approximately three months from June 23, 2026, to complete the following process.
The steps must be completed in sequence and failure at any stage means the firearm will not be returned.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said investigations had revealed that some licensed firearm holders were struggling with mental health challenges or drug abuse, while others possessed weapons without adequate training.
“We have realised that people with mental health challenges have already acquired sidearms.
We are introducing mental health screening before any firearm licence is granted.
“We have also realised that some people using drugs are holding registered firearms. Applicants will now have to be certified as drug-free before they can possess sidearms,” he said.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak added that many accidental shootings and injuries occurred because firearm owners lacked the skills to handle their weapons safely.
Seized firearms
He also announced that 4,038 unregistered firearms were surrendered to the Ghana Police Service under the National Gun Amnesty Programme.
The programme, which was implemented from December 1, last year, to January 30, this year, gave citizens a time-bound opportunity to surrender unregistered firearms without fear of arrest or prosecution.
“A total of 4,038 unregistered firearms were surrendered to the police. This outcome reflects the patriotism, responsibility and civic commitment of Ghanaians who chose compliance over lawlessness,” the minister said.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak disclosed that an arms destruction ceremony would take place on July 9, this year, at the Police Depot at Tesano where all the seized and surrendered firearms would be destroyed after verification and clearance processes.
Private security firms
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak reiterated that private security organisations were prohibited by law from possessing or using firearms.
He accused some firms of exploiting loopholes by encouraging employees to acquire firearms under personal licences before deploying them for private security operations.
“There has never been a time when private security organisations were licensed to operate with firearms,” he said.
“Some companies obtain personal firearm permits for employees and then pool those weapons for company operations.
That practice is illegal and must stop,” he added.
Mr Mohammed-Muntaka warned that offending firms risked losing their operating licences along with other sanctions.
Ceremonial gunfire
The minister also added that his outfit would work with traditional authorities to regulate ceremonial gunfire (muskets) during festivals and funerals.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said designated individuals would be trained and authorised to conduct ceremonial firing under strict supervision
For now, he said, celebratory firing of guns remained prohibited, and the police had been instructed to enforce the law rigorously.
