The public has been cautioned to voluntarily surrender or register illicit firearms within the ongoing gun amnesty period or risk facing the full rigours of the law when caught in possession of unregistered weapons.
The warning was issued by Victor Akambonga, the Upper East Regional Programs Officer of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA), when he addressed Assembly Members of the Kassena-Nankana West District Assembly during the Assembly’s Third Ordinary Meeting.
Mr. Akambonga explained that the gun amnesty policy, introduced by the Ministry of the Interior, officially took effect on December 1, 2025, and is scheduled to end on January 16, 2026. The initiative provides a window of opportunity for individuals who have acquired firearms illegally or failed to register them to either surrender the weapons or regularise their ownership at the nearest police station—without fear of arrest or prosecution.
He clarified the mandate of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, noting that “small arms” refer to weapons that can be operated by a single person, such as pistols and AK-47 rifles, while “light weapons” are those that require two or more persons to operate.
According to him, the core mandate of the Commission is to prevent and combat the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country through border monitoring, public education, and sensitisation programmes.
Mr. Akambonga noted that the Upper East Region continues to grapple with violence linked to land disputes, chieftaincy conflicts, and other communal tensions, many of which are fuelled by the availability of illicit firearms.
“We cannot talk about conflicts in this region without mentioning guns. That is why this amnesty is very important—to reduce the flow of illicit arms in our communities,” he stated.
He warned that once the amnesty period expires, a joint security task force will be deployed to retrieve illegal firearms across communities. He further disclosed that the Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of the Interior and in collaboration with the German Armed Forces, has acquired advanced weapon detection machines capable of identifying concealed firearms.
“With these machines, weapons can be detected even if they are hidden in a room. Possession of an illicit firearm after the amnesty period will not be tolerated,” he stressed.
Mr. Akambonga called on Assembly Members to take responsibility as government representatives and security focal persons in their electoral areas by disseminating the information to their constituents.
He cautioned that enforcement efforts would be intensified after the deadline, especially as parts of the Upper East Region, including Kassena-Nankana West, have been classified as security red zones.
Source: A1 Radio | 101.1Mhz | Joshua Asaah | Paga
