The Ministry of the Interior and the Ghana Police Service have begun the destruction of more than 2,000 surrendered and seized firearms following the completion of the government’s gun amnesty programme, as part of efforts to curb the circulation of illegal weapons.
The exercise, carried out in accordance with international protocols, forms part of measures to permanently remove unlicensed firearms from circulation and strengthen national security.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, more than 4,000 unlicensed firearms were surrendered during the eight-week amnesty period, which was introduced to encourage individuals in possession of illegal weapons to voluntarily hand them over without facing prosecution.
Speaking at a ceremony held at the Ghana Police Training School in Accra on Thursday July 9, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah said the destruction of the firearms would help prevent their diversion, misuse and potential exploitation by criminals.
“The conclusion of the Gun Amnesty Programme marked the end of a period of voluntary compliance. We have now entered a phase of full enforcement of the post-gun amnesty measures,” he added.
He further assured that government will continue to support security agencies with the necessary resources to conduct intelligence-led operations aimed at identifying and retrieving illicit weapons across the country.
Mr. Debrah cautioned individuals who continue to possess firearms without lawful authorisation, stressing that such persons will face the full consequences of the law.
