The government has suspended all registered firearm licences across Ghana with immediate effect as part of a comprehensive review of the country’s weapons control and licensing regime.
Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak announced the directive on Tuesday, June 23, describing it as a critical step toward strengthening public safety, improving accountability, and addressing emerging threats linked to firearm ownership.
The nationwide suspension, which took effect at noon, affects all individuals currently holding valid firearm licences and forms part of a broader effort to overhaul the country’s gun regulation framework.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, the minister said authorities had identified weaknesses within the existing licensing system, including compliance challenges and concerns over the misuse of legally acquired firearms.
According to him, the government will use the suspension period to conduct a thorough audit of licensed weapons and introduce reforms aimed at tightening oversight and ensuring stricter adherence to firearm regulations.
“We have realised a new phenomenon which is threatening public safety,” Mr. Mubarak stated, explaining that the temporary suspension would enable security agencies to reassess the entire licensing architecture.
The move comes against the backdrop of heightened public concern over firearm-related incidents, including the recent shooting incident involving former Dome-Kwabenya MP Sarah Adwoa Safo at a property associated with Israel Safo in the Greater Accra Region.
The incident, which is currently under police investigation, is linked to an ongoing leadership and succession dispute within the Kristo Asafo Mission following the death of its founder, Apostle Professor Kwadwo Safo, in September last year.
While authorities have not directly connected the suspension to the incident, the government maintains that the decision forms part of a broader strategy to enhance national security and restore confidence in the regulation of firearms.
Officials say further details regarding the audit process and the future revalidation of firearm licences will be communicated after the review is completed.
The suspension marks one of the most significant interventions in Ghana’s firearms management system in recent years, signalling government’s intention to tighten controls on weapon ownership nationwide.
