By Eric Appah Marfo, GNA
Accra, June 23, GNA – The Ministry of the Interior has warned Private Security Organisations against possessing or using firearms, describing the practice as a violation of existing laws.
Mr Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, Minister for the Interior, said Regulation 13 of the Police Service (Private Security Organisations) Regulations, 1992 (L.I. 1571), expressly prohibited private security companies and their personnel from possessing or using firearms and ammunition.
The Minister, at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday on the aftermath of the 2025/2026 Gun Amnesty Programme and the way forward, cautioned operators of private security firms to comply strictly with the law or face sanctions.
“Private security organisations are prohibited from possessing or using firearms in accordance with Regulation 13 of L.I. 1571,” he said.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak disclosed that some individuals had been exploiting personal firearm licences to arm private security operations unlawfully.
“What we notice is that people register private security organisations and then use firearms licensed for personal protection to operate the organisation,” he said.
“You cannot use a personal firearm licence that has been granted for self-protection to run a private security organisation. That is infringing the law.”
The Minister said the practice undermined the country’s firearm control regime and posed a threat to public safety.
He warned that the government would soon intensify enforcement against offenders, adding “We will adhere to the law and enforce it very soon.”
He also urged licenced arms dealers to conduct their operations in accordance with the law, warning that individuals engaged in firearm smuggling or illegal arms trading would face decisive action.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said government remained committed to strengthening national arms control measures and ensuring that firearms did not end up in the hands of unauthorised persons or groups.
He urged private security operators to work closely with the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies to maintain law and order while complying fully with existing regulations governing their activities.
The National Gun Amnesty Programme was launched by the Ministry, in collaboration with the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, the Ghana Police Service and other stakeholders to reduce the proliferation of illicit firearms and gun-related violence.
The programme, which ran from December 1, 2025, and was later extended to January 30, 2026, allowed individuals to voluntarily surrender or regularise unlicensed firearms without fear of arrest or prosecution. GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Picture Added
23 June 2026
Reporter: Eric Appah Marfo