Private security companies have no right to carry guns – Muntaka

Mr. Muntaka explained that the legal framework regulating private security companies dates back several decades and remains clear on the issue of firearms.

“The laws, interestingly, are very old laws, because the Police Act 1970, and then the regulations, 1992 regulations, 1571 state it. So there had never been any time that private security companies were allowed to hold firearms,” he stated.

The Minister noted that while private security firms are licensed and regulated by the state, the licenses granted to them do not include authorization to arm their personnel with firearms.

He explained that before licenses are issued, security agencies conduct background checks on company owners, inspect office facilities, and verify operational requirements.

However, the authorization extends only to the operation of the security company itself and not the possession or use of guns.

According to Mr. Muntaka, some private security operators have found a way around the restrictions by obtaining firearms permits as private individuals rather than as representatives of their companies.

He explained that company owners and employees often apply for firearm licenses under the justification of personal protection and subsequently use those weapons while carrying out private security duties.

“You and I come together to set up the company, so we come, we are given the licence, they do all the background checks, they check our office, they do all that, and they give us the licence,” he said.

“Then we come as individuals. So I’ll come as Muntaka and get a pump-action gun for my self-protection. You come as Evans and get a sidearm for your self-protection.”

The Minister added that employees of such companies may also acquire firearms including pump-action guns, single-barrel guns, and sidearms through individual applications.

Once licensed in their personal capacities, some of these individuals reportedly use the weapons during official security assignments.

“We give all those, and then when we give them, because they are working in the company now, they are using it in the company as though that private security company has the mandate to use firearms,” he explained.

During the interview, host Evans Mensah observed that private security companies appeared to have identified and exploited a loophole within Ghana’s legal framework.

Mr. Muntaka agreed with that assessment, saying enforcement agencies often face challenges when attempting to take action because the firearm permits are legally registered in the names of individuals.

“Yes, so now when you go, and you see it with Evans, and you arrest him, or you demand him to produce a permit, he will produce it, and you see that it’s in his name, but he’s working for a private security company, and he’s always using it,” he said.

The Minister stressed that the existence of a personal firearms permit does not grant a private security company the legal authority to deploy armed guards.

Mr. Muntaka was emphatic that under Ghanaian law, private security personnel are not authorized to carry firearms while performing their duties.

“No private security company is authorised to use a sidearm or use a firearm,” he stated.

When asked whether any exceptions existed, he responded in the negative.

“No. We can grant you tasers, maybe pepper spray and other equipment, but not a firearm. It’s only the police that are mandated to carry firearms,” he explained.

The clarification is expected to spark renewed debate about the role of private security companies in protecting businesses, residential communities, financial institutions, and other high-risk facilities across the country.

The Interior Minister disclosed that government agencies are currently reviewing firearm permit records and examining the activities of individuals who may be using personally licensed weapons while employed by private security firms.

According to him, the exercise is intended to identify potential violations and ensure that security companies operate within the confines of the law.

“So now we are doing all this pause to be able to now identify all such individuals and correct it,” he said.

The move forms part of broader efforts by the Ministry of the Interior to strengthen oversight of the private security industry, improve regulatory compliance, and ensure that the use of firearms remains strictly controlled under Ghanaian law.

As authorities intensify monitoring and enforcement, private security operators may face increased scrutiny regarding their personnel, licensing arrangements, and operational practices.