Ghana Poised for Major Gun Amnesty: Interior Ministry to Declare Sweep to Curb Rising Firearm Violence, Says Security Expert
In a bold move to stem the tide of gun-related crimes plaguing communities, the Ministry of the Interior is set to announce a comprehensive nationwide gun amnesty within the next week, according to Dr. Jones Appeh (also known as Adam Bonaa), Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA).
The initiative, described as the most elaborate in Ghana’s history, aims to encourage civilians to voluntarily surrender unregistered firearms, addressing the proliferation of an estimated 1.1 million illicit small arms fueling armed robberies, chieftaincy disputes, and recent mass shootings.
“In the coming days—perhaps within a week or so—there’s going to be a declaration that has been well thought out and well planned by the Government of Ghana,” Dr. Bonaa revealed, emphasizing that the program, to be proclaimed by the Interior Minister, will feature streamlined processes to ensure compliance and safety. “It’s going to be an elaborate amnesty, the type we have not really seen in this country.
The declaration will be made by the Honourable Minister for the Interior, and all the necessary processes are being finalised to ensure every box is checked.”
The announcement comes amid a surge in firearm incidents, highlighted by Monday’s deadly attack in Garu, Upper East Region, where four unidentified gunmen on motorbikes stormed the NHIA office, killing four civilians—including a headteacher and a chief—and injuring five others in a hail of indiscriminate gunfire.
NACSA and security agencies have noted a “significant increase” in such violence, with rural bank robberies and community terrorizations rising 25% year-on-year, per 2025 reports. Dr. Bonaa stressed that “a lot is being done to curb these incidents and ensure that we nip them in the bud, to reduce and, if possible, eradicate them,” citing recent police successes in neutralizing armed gangs and seizing weapons.
Ghana’s gun control landscape is governed by the Arms and Ammunition Act, 1962 (Act 489), which mandates licenses for all firearms, but enforcement has lagged, with over 90% of circulating weapons being unlicensed local crafts or smuggled imports from neighboring Sahel states. Past amnesties, like the 32-day program in 2015 that recovered 855 guns, fell short of expectations, as noted by security analysts, due to limited outreach and trust issues.
This new effort builds on February 2025 pledges by Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak to destroy seized illicit arms and link licenses to the Ghana Card by December, aiming for a digital registry to track owners and prevent defaults.
Dr. Bonaa, a vocal advocate who previously warned that galamsey’s weaponization complicates anti-mining efforts, linked the amnesty to broader security reforms, including border scanners and civic education on firearm dangers. “You’ve seen the police swooping in to arrest bandits and criminals who specialise in robbing rural banks. Some armed robbers who have been terrorising communities using firearms have also been neutralised,” he added, urging public cooperation to reclaim Ghana’s status as a “peace oasis” in West Africa.
As the amnesty details emerge, civil society groups like IMANI Africa applaud the proactive stance but call for incentives like fee waivers and livelihood programs for local gun fabricators, echoing failed 2017 attempts to retrain them. With gun violence claiming over 200 lives annually, this could mark a pivotal shift—if participation exceeds past benchmarks.
