The Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Dr Adam Bonaa, has revealed that thousands of illegal firearms and quantities of ammunition have been voluntarily surrendered across the country as Ghana’s nationwide gun amnesty enters its final 15 days.
According to Dr Bonaa, the amnesty exercise has recorded significant success, with weapons recovered from all 16 administrative regions and all 25 police regions, demonstrating widespread national participation.
“With just 15 days to the deadline, a number of these weapons have already been surrendered, and we are expecting more before the exercise ends,” he stated.
He explained that the amnesty declaration also imposed strict temporary restrictions on the arms trade to ensure the effectiveness of the programme. These measures include a halt to the importation of firearms and ammunition, the suspension of gun and ammunition sales, and a ban on the firing of weapons throughout the amnesty period.
Dr Bonaa disclosed that the weapons surrendered so far include sidearms, pump-action shotguns, single- and double-barrel guns, AK-47 rifles, M16 rifles, and G-series firearms.
The nationwide gun amnesty was declared by the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, who designated December 1, 2025, to January 15, 2026, as a grace period for individuals in possession of illegal firearms to surrender or register them without facing prosecution.
The initiative forms part of the government’s broader efforts to enhance public safety and curb the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons across the country.
Dr Bonaa has therefore urged individuals still holding illegal firearms to take advantage of the remaining days of the amnesty, warning that enforcement will be intensified once the deadline expires.
He stressed that anyone found in possession of illegal weapons after January 15, 2026, will face the full rigour of the law as security agencies move to consolidate the gains made during the amnesty period.
