Interior Minister Suspends All Firearm LicensIn a sweeping overhaul of Ghana’s weapons control system, the Minister for the Interior, Hon Muntaka Mubarak, has announced the immediate suspension of all registered firearm licenses across the country.
The directive, aimed at tightening oversight and strengthening national security, takes effect today, Tuesday, 23rd June 2026, at 12:00 noon.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, the Minister explained that the drastic measure was prompted by emerging gaps in the licensing regime, including compliance breaches and instances where legally registered weapons were misused.
”Everybody in Ghana who currently holds a legitimate license to hold a gun—today, I am suspending all of it. All of it that everybody is holding,” Mubarak stated.
The freeze will allow authorities to conduct a comprehensive audit and a total restructuring of the firearms control infrastructure.
According to the Minister, the policy reset was triggered by a troubling “new phenomenon” that directly threatens public safety, though he did not immediately elaborate on its exact nature.
Catalyst for the Crackdown
The nationwide suspension follows a high-profile shooting incident in the Greater Accra Region involving former Member of Parliament Hon Adwoa Safo at a property linked to Israel Safo, her brother.
The violence is reportedly tied to a volatile succession dispute within the Kristo Asafo Mission, which has been fractured by competing leadership claims since the death of its founder, Apostle Prof Kwadwo Safo, in September last year.
While formal legal processes are underway to resolve the leadership battle, tensions on the ground have continued to escalate.
In an official statement, the Kwadwo Safo family alleged that Hon Adwoa Safo arrived at the property to serve a court injunction during an installation event for Israel Safo when the gunfire erupted.
The Ghana Police Service is actively investigating the shooting.
Ministry officials emphasise that the blanket suspension of firearm licenses is a necessary preventive measure to stabilise the country’s security environment.
At the same time, criminal investigations and systemic regulatory reforms are carried out.