Individuals in possession of unregistered or illicit firearms have forty-six (46) days, that is approximately six weeks, to surrender them or face stringent punishment, the Interior Ministry has announced as the government ramp up efforts to crack down on the proliferation of illicit arms and address rising gun-related incidents across the country.

Addressing the media at the official launch of the Gun Amnesty Programme, held on Tuesday, November 18, the Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, explained that the move forms part of government’s gun amnesty initiative “a bold and compassionate initiative to reduce illicit firearms in our country”, following increasing cases of violence and attacks carried out with the aid of illegal firearms nationwide.

In reference to the rising cases of murder and robbery this year, the government, in consultation with stakeholders, has decided to open a window of amnesty for individuals to surrender the said weapons, the Minister said.

“In 2024 alone, there were 219 reported robbery cases and 552 murder cases. As of July this year, statistics from the Ghana Police Service show that in just half of the year, we have already had over 600 cases, the exact number being 628 cases of armed robbery and 340 cases of murder. All of these involved people using violent means to achieve their ends, often through the use of illicit arms.

The gun amnesty program is a window of grace. It offers every law-abiding Ghanaian who holds an unregistered or illicit firearm the opportunity to surrender it without fear of interrogation, arrest, or prosecution. From the 1st of December 2025 to the 15th of January 2026, any person who voluntarily hands over such weapons at designated collection points will be commended, not condemned. You will be recognised as a patriot contributing to the peace and safety of our nation”, the Interior Minister said.

However, individuals who fail to surrender any illegal weapon in their possession, the Asawase Member of Parliament noted, will be treated as criminals and be made to face the full course of the law.

“But let me be clear: when this amnesty period ends, the law will take its full course. The Ghana Police Service and all security agencies will intensify operations to recover illicit arms. Those who refuse this generous offer will be treated as criminals, and the consequences will be firm and uncompromising”, the Minister added, stressing that the effort is essential to creating a safer and more secure environment for all Ghanaians.

The Minister also announced a temporary ban on the use of firearms during traditional festivities within the amnesty period, a measure intended to curb celebratory gunfire, prevent injuries, and save lives in communities nationwide.

He also noted that, “We cannot continue to bury our loved ones while the tools of violence remain unchecked. The statistics are not looking good at all”.

Also, on the gun, Minister Muntaka revealed during a session with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament in Accra, on Tuesday, 30 September, in response to questions on firearm regulation and monitoring, announced that gun registration, which is currently done manually, will be digitalised to make it easily accessible and less daunting for citizens.

In a detailed explanation, he broke down what measures the Ministry intends to put in place.

He said, “So this is what is going to happen: You register, and we have you in the registry. In the registry, we have your contact number and all your details. So, three months before expiry, we will send you a notification that your license will expire on 31st December. And you no longer need to walk to any CID office where you have to join a queue to pay for the renewal. Because the databases will be talking to each other, and over the one year, we will have recorded no criminal activities about the person we granted the license to hold the firearm, you will be able to pay through your MoMo or using your bank details. You can renew it immediately without any struggle.

“Many people even tend to forget that the time has come for them to renew it. Maybe along the line, they just see the gun and say, “Hey, when was the last time I renewed this?” So we want to digitalise this, and by the grace of God, when we are done, by the close of the year, worst case, by the close of the year, all these things will be digitalised. It will give people the opportunity to do the renewal online without necessarily having to walk to the Police Headquarters.

However, Mr Muntaka added that gun owners flagged for criminal activity during the renewal period will not be allowed to complete the process online.

“The only thing is that if there’s a criminal record over the period when you want to renew, it may deny you, and that may require that you come physically. But it also helps us. Even if you change address; because we are going to link it to your Ghana Card, we will be able to tell that Maka has a gun, has not renewed it over this period, and has changed his address from Asar to Bima. We will be able to track him and either retrieve the gun from him or get him to renew his license”, he continued.

Meanwhile, in a related development, Ghana joined sixty-nine (69) other nations in efforts to reduce and ultimately eradicate dangerous weapons, particularly nuclear bombs, from the world.

Announcing the development on Saturday, September 27, via the X platform, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, stated that Ghana has officially ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The move, according to the Minister, reflects Ghana’s commitment to supporting global peace and a stable security for the world. The Minister further applauded both the Cabinet and Parliament for their unanimous approval of the treaty.

He also recalled how Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, was a strong advocate of disarmament in 1962, adding that the late President would be proud of this groundbreaking step.

“Yesterday, Ghana boldly demonstrated to the world that we shall be a Nuclear-Weapon-Free State by depositing our instrument of ratification on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) at the UN. I commend the Ghanaian Cabinet and Parliament for the unanimous ratification. As I indicated in my UN address, Ghana has been consistent across all political parties in advocating for total disarmament and creating a new world without nuclear weapons.

“Ghana’s Founder, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah, who convened the 1962 World Without the Bomb conference in Accra, would be absolutely proud of this moment. It was an honour to meet with the inspiring Melissa Parke and Seth Shelden of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). ICAN won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for their groundbreaking work to attain a world without nuclear weapons. We shall triumph and end global impunity,” he wrote.