Only 40k out of 1.25m gun owners renew their licence in Ghana

A Security Analyst, Adib Saani, has revealed that only 40, 000 people out of over 1.25 million gun owners in Ghana renew their licence annually.

According to him, the mode of gun acquisition and the renewal of licences of guns by their owners in the country has been unchecked by the law enforcement authorities.

“The Arms and Ammunition Act 9. 1972 is quite specific about displaying your weapon including explosives in public, you can only do it with the approval of the IGP. So when you show a gun in public and you are not a law enforcement officer, who is authorised to show it, that is illegality.

“It is also because we want to protect people around you that is why it is illegal to brandish guns in public. Secondly, when people see you with a gun definitely it has the tendency of creating fear and panic. Someone might see you with a gun in public and think you are an arm-robber and engage you. That is why it is illegal to show weapons or guns in public,” Saani told Francis Abban on Morn Starr Monday.

He, however, said with the emergence of social media which was not known before the laws of arms and ammunition came into force, what really constitutes displaying of arms in public should be reviewed by the Arms and Ammunition Commission.

Saani further stated that the National Small Arms Commission at an event late last year disclosed that out of about 1.25 million people have registered guns in the country but only about 40,000 renew their licenses.

The issue of brandishing guns has become topical when rapper Samuel Adu Frimpong popularly known as Medikal was remanded into prison custody for the next five days for brandishing his gun on social media.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge of displaying arms and ammunition when he appeared in the court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Essandoh, a High Court judge sitting with additional responsibility as a circuit court judge.

Lawyer for the accused, Emmanuel Yeboah had argued that his client is well known and lived all his life in the country and will not disobey the court.

According to him, if granted bail he has persons to stand sureties for him including his wife and mother.

The prosecution led by Chief Inspector Dennis Terkpetey while opposing the grant of bail said, the interest of the larger society is what the court must consider.