Ghana suspends all firearm licences in sweeping overhaul of gun control system

Ghana's Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak, has announced the immediate suspension of all registered firearm licences as part of a nationwide review of the country's weapons ownership and regulatory framework.

The directive took effect at midday on Tuesday and forms part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening oversight, improving accountability and enhancing public safety.

Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show, Mr Mubarak said the government had identified serious concerns within the current firearms licensing regime, prompting authorities to undertake a comprehensive audit of licensed weapons and their holders.

"Everybody in Ghana who currently holds a legitimate licence to hold a gun, today I am suspending all of it," he said.

The minister said the move would enable security agencies to reassess existing licences and introduce reforms designed to tighten controls on firearm ownership.

According to him, the decision was informed by what he described as an emerging threat to public safety.

"Because we have realised a new phenomenon which is threatening public safety," he said, without providing further details.

The announcement comes amid heightened public attention following a shooting incident involving former Dome-Kwabenya MP Sarah Adwoa Safo

at a property linked to her brother, Israel Safo, in the Greater Accra Region.

The incident is being investigated by police and is connected to an ongoing succession dispute within the Kristo Asafo Mission following the death of its founder, Apostle Professor Kwadwo Safo, in September 2025.

The dispute has sparked competing claims over the leadership of the church and its affiliated institutions, with legal proceedings currently underway.

In an earlier statement, the Kwadwo Safo family alleged that Ms Safo had gone to serve a court injunction intended to halt an installation ceremony involving Israel Safo when the shooting occurred. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.

Authorities say the suspension of firearm licences is intended to stabilise the regulatory system while a broader review of weapons ownership and enforcement measures is carried out.