The 2024 Auditor-General’s report has revealed that over 600 fire arms were illegally possessed by civilians who failed to renew licenses of these fire arms after they had expired.

The issue came to light at the Public Accounts Committee sitting on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 when the Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak together with the Inspector General of Police and Heads of other security agencies appeared before the Committee.

A member of the Committee raised concerns about the infraction which was highlighted in the Auditor General’s report: “illegal possession of fire arms by civilians; contrary to the above stated provision, we reviewed the fire arms license and noted that 606 fire arms were illegally possessed by civilians since their licenses had expired and had not been renewed and thereby rendering their possessions and use unlawful. We obtained the 606 illegal possession of fire arms from the licenses issued from the general counterpull receipts to holders of fire arms.”

Responding to the status of this infraction and the measures by his outfit to address this, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno said the Ghana Police Service is currently sensitizing holders of fire arms to renew their licenses on time when it expires.

“Honorable Chair the division has compiled the database of all license gun holders as recommended by the Audit team and so what we are doing now is we are sensitizing people who are in possession of fire arms and have licenses and when the license expires, they don’t go to renew as expected.

“We are getting the names of all persons so that even when the time is due the police will call you to come renew your license. This exercise is ongoing now,” he told the Committee.

On his part, Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak has called for a complete digital overhaul of Ghana’s firearms licensing system after the Auditor-General’s report revealed that over 600 weapons are being unlawfully held by civilians with expired licenses.

He said digitization will seal loopholes in the manual system and ensure timely renewals to curb the growing risk of illegal possession.

He is hopeful the entire system will be digitalizes by the end of the year.

“One of the challenges is that we have is everything that they do is manual…these 606 that they are talking about they are scattered across the country.

“We are currently working ion digitalizing almost every s in the Ministry. We are almost at the tail end of it and very hopeful by November, December it should come on board,” he noted.

Sompaonline.com