"Guns down, Ghana up" - Interior Minister

The Minister for the Interior has announced a nationwide Gun Amnesty Programme, marking a major step in government’s renewed effort to curb the alarming rise in illicit firearms across the country.

Addressing journalists at the Information Services Department in Accra, the Minister warned that the proliferation of illegal weapons has become “a silent threat that has infiltrated homes, workplaces, social gatherings, and even schools.”

According to him, unregistered firearms continue to fuel armed robbery, land and chieftaincy disputes, domestic violence, and deadly community conflicts, turning minor disagreements into fatal encounters.

The amnesty, themed “Guns Down, Ghana Up,” will run from 1st December 2025 to 15th January 2026.

During this period, individuals in possession of illicit or unregistered firearms may surrender them at designated collection points without fear of arrest, interrogation, or prosecution.

“This is a window of grace,” the Minister said. “Anyone who hands in a weapon will be commended, not condemned, as a patriot contributing to national safety.”

He cautioned that after the amnesty period, security agencies will intensify nationwide operations to retrieve illegal weapons, and offenders will face the full rigour of the law.

To support the programme, government has rolled out several complementary measures, including the suspension of firearm importation, sale, and registration; a temporary ban on the use of firearms in traditional celebrations; enhanced border security; and targeted joint security operations to mop up illicit weapons after the amnesty.

The Minister disclosed that extensive groundwork has already been completed.

This includes technical planning with the Police Service, NACSA, and other security agencies; consultations with regional ministers, chiefs, diplomats, arms dealers, and community leaders; broad public sensitisation; and specialised training for officials handling the process.

He urged traditional leaders, religious bodies, civil society groups, and the media to help mobilise the public to voluntarily surrender unregistered weapons.

“This is not a witch-hunt; it is a life-saving initiative,” he stressed. “Every gun handed over is one less tool of destruction and one more step toward a peaceful Ghana.”

Calling on citizens to “choose dialogue over violence and safety over fear,” the Minister added that the country must not allow gun-related deaths to undermine its future.

“Our children deserve playgrounds, not battlegrounds. Our families deserve laughter, not funerals.”

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith