Acting Head of Communications and Media at the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Carl Nii Anyetei, has assured that measures have been put in place to curb the issue of acquiring illicit weapons and gun activity.
According to the Commission’s second quarter open-source gun incident report, 54 gun cases were recorded between April and June 2025.
11 regions reported incidents, with the Ashanti Region leading with 21 cases, followed by the Eastern Region with 8 cases. In total, the violence claimed 43 lives within this period.
Speaking on Joy News about the measures being put in place, Carl Nii Anyetei said a special task force is being formed to address the situation.
“As part of the plans that have been put in place, there is a joint task force which is being formed by the Ghana Police Service, the National Security Council and the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons. This task force will go around to ensure that they fight this menace,” he explained.
Explaining why the numbers were particularly high in the Ashanti Region, Mr. Anyetei drew a connection between illicit weapons and illegal mining activities or galamsey.
“There is illegal mining, and people illicitly acquire the firearms to protect their concession. Because these weapons are illicit and easily accessible, they find their way into society to be used to commit crime,” he said.
He added that the Ashanti Region’s central location and role as a transit hub make it a prime target for smuggling, which contributes to the easy availability and accessibility of firearms in the area.
Carl Anyetei noted that the Commission’s Ashanti Regional Office has engaged with the Small-Scale Miners Association to ensure they remain law-abiding.
Mr. Anyetei further disclosed that the Commission is putting measures in place to curb the smuggling of firearms into the country.
“We’ve been able with the support of partners, to acquire a very sophisticated weapon detection machine which is now deployed at the Tema Port. The intention is to acquire more so that we can have it at the other exit and entry points of the country,” he noted.
He further appealed to the public to support the fight by sharing information with the authorities.
“If you don’t volunteer that information, that firearm may come to harm you sometime,” he cautioned.
“How did we get here as a people, that now we use fire arms to protect ourselves?” Carl Nii Anyetei lamented.
The 54 recorded gun cases is a significant increase from the 15 incidents reported in the first quarter of the year.
