The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons has announced an extension of the Gun Amnesty Programme, pushing the deadline from January 15 to January 30, 2026, to allow more individuals to voluntarily surrender or regularise illicit firearms.
According to the Commission, the decision follows approval by the Minister for the Interior and is based on the positive public response recorded during the initial phase of the amnesty.
In a press release on January 17, the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons said, “The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) welcomes the decision by the Hon. Minister for the Interior to extend the Gun Amnesty Programme (GAP) for an additional two weeks.”
The Commission explained that the extension, which takes effect from January 16 to January 30, 2026, is intended to broaden access, particularly for individuals in remote and hard-to-reach communities.
“This will provide further opportunity for individuals, especially in hard-to-reach communities, to voluntarily surrender or register their unlicensed or illicit firearms without fear of interrogation, arrest, or prosecution,” the statement said.
The Gun Amnesty Programme was launched on December 1, 2025, and was originally scheduled to end on January 15, 2026, as part of government efforts to curb the proliferation of small arms and light weapons across the country.
However, NACSA cautioned that the extension will be the final opportunity for voluntary compliance, warning of strict enforcement after the new deadline.
“NACSA wishes to emphasise that after 30th January, 2026, security agencies will intensify enforcement operations, and any person found in possession of an unregistered or illicit firearm will be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law,” the Commission stressed.
The Commission also appealed to leaders and the media to sustain public education and mobilisation efforts ahead of the deadline.
“The Commission urges chiefs, traditional authorities, religious leaders, opinion leaders, community groups, and the media to continue supporting the Gun Amnesty Programme (GAP) by encouraging full participation within their communities,” the statement added.
Reiterating the broader national security implications, NACSA described the programme as a crucial opportunity for Ghana to stem gun violence.
“The Gun Amnesty Programme provides Ghana a choice to reduce the proliferation of illicit firearms and the high incidence of gun-related violence and deaths. The time is now, let us silence the guns for our own safety.”
The extension comes against the backdrop of earlier warnings by the Minister for the Interior, Honourable Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, who cautioned in November that illicit firearms pose serious dangers beyond public spaces.
The Interior Minister in late 2025, warned that illegal weapons present dangers not only in public spaces but also within homes and communities, where they continue to escalate tensions and cause avoidable deaths.
