The Ministry of the Interior has issued a six-week ultimatum to all individuals and groups in possession of unregistered or illegally acquired firearms to surrender them or face prosecution.
He declared that the sale of firearms will be restricted to licensed dealers only, signalling a crackdown on the informal market that has contributed to the proliferation of illegal weapons.
“Firearms are to be sold by licensed dealers only, we will come for those selling arms on the street,” he said.
Addressing the media on the declaration of gun amnesty and the ban on illicit firearms on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, in Accra, Muntaka-Mubarak urged individuals in possession of unregistered firearms to take up the opportunity and hand the arms over without fear of being interrogated or arrested.
According to him, the government has placed a temporary suspension on new firearm permits as part of a nationwide gun-amnesty programme aimed at curbing the surge of illicit arms in Ghana.
“Every firearm surrendered is one less tool of destruction,” the Minister stated, explaining that “Our children deserve playgrounds, not battlefields. Let us disarm because every illicit firearm in circulation is a silent threat.”
Muntaka-Mubarak further highlighted recent crime statistics to underscore the urgency of the initiative. According to him, in 2024 alone, the country recorded 1,219 robbery incidents and 552 murders, figures that have prompted heightened concern. For the current midyear, the numbers, though slightly lower, remain alarming: 628 robbery cases and 340 murders reported so far.
Under the programme, citizens may voluntarily surrender unregistered or illegal weapons at designated collection points without facing charges. The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) will oversee the process, and a proposed National Arms Bill—currently in its final stages—is expected to give the initiative a permanent legal footing.