The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has clarified that private security companies in Ghana are not permitted to carry firearms, announcing a renewed enforcement drive to ensure strict compliance with existing laws governing the sector.
Speaking on Tuesday, June 23, the minister stressed that firearm licences are issued strictly to individuals and not to private security organisations.
“I want to take this opportunity to let all private security organisations in the country know that we do not license anybody to hold firearms for use in private security operations. If you obtain a licence as an individual and then deploy the weapon in a private security company, you are violating the law, and I will definitely come after you,” he said.
Mr Mubarak explained that the enforcement directive also covers broader regulatory standards, including compliance with approved uniforms and operational procedures, as part of efforts to introduce greater discipline and uniformity within the private security industry.
He warned that the ministry would intensify monitoring and crackdowns on companies and individuals who fail to adhere to the regulations.
According to him, a growing concern is the practice of individuals acquiring firearms in their personal capacity and later using them in private security operations — a trend he described as a clear breach of licensing conditions and a risk to public safety oversight.
“It is issued to you as a private individual, not for use by a private security organisation as if the licence belongs to the company. But that is what many people are doing,” he noted.
The Interior Minister’s comments come in the wake of heightened public concern over firearm use following a recent shooting incident at the Kristo Asafo Mission in Accra, which has intensified scrutiny of firearm regulation within private security operations and public gatherings.
The government says the new enforcement push forms part of wider efforts to strengthen public safety and ensure stricter adherence to Ghana’s firearm laws.
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Authorities say the renewed enforcement measures are intended to close regulatory loopholes, strengthen accountability, and restore public confidence in the management of private security operations across the country.