Over 4,000 Weapons Surrendered During National Gun Amnesty — NACSA
Dr Adam Bonaa says surrendered arms will be publicly destroyed as part of efforts to curb illegal weapons and gun violence in Ghana.
- Over 4,000 weapons were surrendered under the gun amnesty programme.
- The weapons will be destroyed in a public exercise.
- NACSA says the initiative aims to reduce illegal arms and violence.
According to him, a large number of the retrieved weapons will soon be destroyed in accordance with international protocols and conventions on arms control to which Ghana is a signatory.
Dr Bonaa made the remarks during an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a Women and Girls Empowerment Seminar held in Accra to mark the 2026 International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament.
The seminar was organised under the theme: “Women and Girls as Active Agents of Peace and Disarmament: From Awareness to Action for a Peaceful and Gun-Violence-Free Ghana.”
Describing the response to the amnesty programme as encouraging, Dr Bonaa said the number of weapons surrendered represented a major step in efforts to reduce the proliferation of illegal firearms and gun-related violence in the country.
He revealed that NACSA is considering either June 25 or July 9, 2026 for a public destruction exercise to coincide with activities marking the United Nations Day for Weapons Destruction.
“We haven’t carried out a destruction exercise in a while, and this is a significant number of weapons in peacetime that will be destroyed,” he stated.
Dr Bonaa added that the exercise would be held publicly to allow media organisations and members of the public to witness the destruction process.
He also disclosed that NACSA has written to the presidency and is hopeful that John Dramani Mahama, as Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, will attend the event.
The nationwide gun amnesty programme was launched by the Ministry of the Interior in partnership with the Ghana Police Service, NACSA, other security agencies, traditional authorities, religious groups and civil society organisations.
The initiative, which began on December 1, 2025, was initially expected to end on January 15, 2026, but was later extended to January 30 following strong public participation and requests from stakeholders for more time.
The extension allowed individuals, particularly those in remote communities, to voluntarily surrender or regularise unlicensed firearms without fear of arrest or prosecution.
Speaking further at the seminar, Dr Bonaa described the event as an important national conversation on peace, security and inclusion.
He warned that the spread and misuse of small arms continue to threaten public safety, national development and human security, while women and girls often suffer the greatest impact of gun violence through insecurity, displacement and economic hardship.
Dr Bonaa stressed the importance of involving women fully in peacebuilding and security discussions, adding that NACSA has adopted policies to ensure gender inclusion in training and arms control programmes.
He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to public education, stakeholder collaboration and community participation in promoting a peaceful and gun-violence-free society.
