Interior Minister suspends all active gun licenses in Ghana, orders fresh screening

The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, has announced the immediate suspension of all registered firearm licences across Ghana as part of a comprehensive overhaul of the country's firearms ownership and control regime.

The directive took effect at 12 noon on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, and forms part of broader government efforts to strengthen public safety, improve accountability, and tighten oversight of weapons ownership nationwide.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, the Minister said the decision was necessary due to growing concerns about weaknesses within the existing firearm licensing system.

“Everybody in Ghana who currently holds a legitimate license to hold a gun, today (Tuesday, June 23), I am suspending all of it. All of it that everybody is holding,” he stated.

According to Mr. Mubarak, the suspension will enable authorities to conduct a comprehensive review and restructuring of the country's firearms control framework.

He explained that recent developments have exposed emerging threats that require urgent intervention.

“Because we have realised a new phenomenon which is threatening public safety,” he noted.

The Minister indicated that the temporary suspension is intended to create room for a nationwide audit of firearm holders, compliance procedures, and licensing standards as government works to introduce stricter regulations.

The announcement comes in the wake of a shooting incident involving former Dome-Kwabenya MP Sarah Adwoa Safo at a property linked to her brother, Israel Kwadwo Safo, in the Greater Accra Region.

The incident is connected to an ongoing leadership dispute within the Kristo Asafo Mission following the death of its founder, Apostle Professor Kwadwo Safo, in September 2025.

According to a statement issued by the Kwadwo Safo family, Adwoa Safo had gone to serve a court injunction intended to halt an installation ceremony involving Israel Safo when the alleged shooting occurred.

Police investigations into the incident are ongoing, with authorities already arresting Israel Safo and two other suspects to assist with inquiries.

The suspension of firearm licences follows the conclusion of the government's nationwide gun amnesty programme, under which individuals were encouraged to voluntarily surrender illegal firearms.

Government officials have indicated that new measures under consideration include:

• Enhanced background checks for firearm applicants
• Mandatory mental health assessments
• Drug screening requirements
• Compulsory firearms safety and shooting range training
• Stronger monitoring and compliance mechanisms

Authorities say the reforms are designed to reduce the risk of gun-related violence while ensuring that firearm ownership remains subject to strict regulation.

The Ministry of the Interior is expected to provide further details on the implementation of the suspension and the next phase of the firearms reform programme in the coming day