Security expert, Richard Kumadoe has called for the retrieval of guns from traditional leaders, warning that failure to do so could result in many deaths.
He emphasized the urgent need to educate traditional rulers on the dangers and consequences of using firearms during festivals and traditional events.
His comments follow the tragic death of a female student from Bimbilla Senior High School, identified as Abukar Fatimata, who died from a stray bullet during a fire festival procession in the Nanumba North Municipality of the Northern Region on July 5
The 18-year-old was hit in the head by a bullet while participating in a procession to Wampu, where participants throw away flaming torches as part of the fire festival celebration.
Reports indicate that an unidentified man wielding a locally made single-barrel gun accidentally discharged the weapon, striking and killing the girl instantly.
Speaking on Onua TV’s midday news, Nsem Titire with Nana Yaw Opare, on July 7, Kumadoe expressed concern over the misuse of guns by traditional authorities, urging the government to retrieve these weapons.
“Let us conduct thorough background checks on all individuals in traditional houses across Ghana who wish to use guns and clearly communicate the consequences of misuse. If they fail these checks or have criminal records, they should be denied access to firearms. Other than that, if we give the weapons to them as traditional authorities who will continue to mishandle the guns, a lot of people may lose their lives,” he stated.
Kumadoe also noted that the firearms currently used by traditional leaders are more sophisticated than those of past generations.
He further criticized some holders of these guns as unfit to possess or use them during such occasions.
Additionally, he raised concerns that many of these firearms may be unlicensed and that the manner in which they are used is problematic.
“If you shoot and kill someone, you are a killer, and the police must prosecute you seriously. Without such enforcement, traditional chiefs and leaders will lose control over gun usage at festivals and funerals. What we’re seeing now is chaotic and dangerous,” he warned.
The security expert said the use of guns at public events poses significant safety and security risks to communities. He called on law enforcement authorities to arrest and prosecute offenders, stressing that festivals cannot be used as a defence for gun violence.
He urged the victim’s family to seek justice through the courts and hold both the individual and traditional authorities accountable for permitting firearm use.
Kumadoe also expressed concern over the country’s failure to adequately punish offenders if the law, cautioning that this could lead to more violence if laws are not properly enforced.
