NO MENTAL HEALTH TEST, NO GUN LICENCE … Minister Suspends All Private Gun Use

Gun owners in Ghana have been hit with a major shock after Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak announced the immediate suspension of all firearm licences across the country.

The Minister also unveiled stringent new requirements for anyone seeking to acquire or renew a firearm licence.

He said Ghanaians seeking gun licences must now pass a mental health test, drug screening and firearms training before they can own or renew a firearm licence.

The dramatic directive, which took effect at noon on Tuesday, June 23, is part of a nationwide crackdown aimed at tightening gun control and preventing the misuse of legally registered weapons.

In a bold declaration on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, the Interior Minister said every firearm permit currently in circulation has been frozen.

“Everybody in Ghana who currently holds a legitimate licence to hold a gun, today I am suspending all of it,” Muntaka declared.

The Minister revealed that recent developments had exposed worrying loopholes in the firearms licensing system, forcing government to take urgent action.

According to him, a disturbing trend has emerged in which wealthy and influential gun owners are increasingly using their licensed weapons to take their own lives.

“We’ve realised a new phenomenon, which is threatening public safety. The affluent, like you and I, are registering these guns, and they have them. And now, in the last three months, we’ve seen three affluent persons who have used them (guns) to commit suicide,” he disclosed.

The government now plans a full-scale audit of firearm holders as part of efforts to reset and strengthen the country’s weapons control regime.

The bombshell announcement comes amid reports of a shooting incident involving former Dome-Kwabenya MP Adwoa Safo at a property linked to Israel Safo in the Greater Accra Region.

The incident is said to be tied to the fierce succession battle within the Kristo Asafo Mission following the death of its founder, Apostle Prof. Kwadwo Safo, last year.

With concerns mounting over gun-related incidents, authorities insist the suspension is necessary while far-reaching reforms are introduced.

New Tough Rules for Gun Ownership

The sweeping reforms are part of the government’s latest crackdown on gun misuse and efforts to strengthen public safety across the country.

Under the new regime, anyone seeking a firearm licence must successfully pass three mandatory stages: a mental health evaluation, a drug test and certified firearms training, before approval can be granted.

Explaining the new system, the Interior Minister revealed that the necessary institutions are already in place to implement the reforms immediately.

“We have a training range at Tesano. We have the Narcotics Control Commission ready to conduct the drug tests, and the Mental Health Authority prepared to carry out mental health assessments,” the Minister stated.

The Minister also announced stricter background checks, saying applicants will be thoroughly screened by security agencies before licences are issued.

“What I will first do is refer you to the BNI and the CID to conduct background checks. They will verify from their systems that you have not committed any crime,” he explained.

The Minister said firearms licensed for personal protection cannot be used for private security operations, cautioning that any such misuse would violate licensing conditions and could attract sanctions.

The new measures come amid growing concerns over the misuse of legally registered firearms following several recent incidents involving licensed gun owners.

However, the Minister did not indicate how the new requirements would be implemented for applicants in remote and rural communities, particularly farmers who often rely on firearms to protect their farms and livestock.