All firearm licence holders in Ghana will be required to undergo psychiatric examinations and reapply for their permits after the Ministry of the Interior announced the immediate revocation of all existing firearm licences nationwide on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
The decision forms part of what the government describes as a major overhaul of Ghana’s firearms regulatory system aimed at tightening gun control and improving public safety.
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Addressing a press briefing in Accra, Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak said the existing licensing framework contained gaps that needed urgent attention. As a result, all current licence holders will be required to go through a fresh application process under new and more stringent requirements.
New Firearm Licensing Rules Introduced
Under the revised regime, applicants seeking firearm licences will undergo mandatory mental health assessments, drug screening and structured firearms training before approval is granted.
According to Mr Mubarak, the changes are intended to prevent the misuse of legally acquired firearms and ensure that only qualified individuals are permitted to possess them.
He expressed concern about recent incidents involving registered firearms, including reported cases of suicide.
“In the last few months, we have seen an increase in some individuals committing suicide with firearms that are registered. Because of that, from this afternoon, all permits that have been granted to any individual are hereby revoked.
“We are revoking them and we are opening a window where everyone will have to come forward again to re-register their guns because we have changed the procedure. We have realised that there is a short gap in the registration procedure that we’ve been using,” he said.
Government To Destroy More Than 2,000 Firearms
As part of broader efforts to strengthen firearms regulation, the Interior Minister also announced plans to destroy more than 2,000 firearms that have either been voluntarily surrendered or confiscated under the national gun amnesty programme.
The government says the exercise is intended to reduce the number of illegal and unregulated weapons in circulation while improving oversight of firearm possession across the country.
The announcement comes just days after the Ministry suspended the operating licence of Kantanka Security Services Limited following a shooting incident in Kwabenya that left former Sarah Adwoa Safo injured.
According to the Ministry, the suspension was prompted by alleged regulatory breaches involving the use of unapproved uniforms and the possession and use of firearms and ammunition by some personnel while on duty.
The government maintains that the latest measures are part of a wider strategy to strengthen oversight of firearms ownership and enhance public safety nationwide.
