The Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has disclosed that private security firms in Ghana have no legal authority to use firearms.
He says the existing laws do not warrant any private security company to use guns, saying the current practice is as a result of a loophole that has allowed some firms to operate with armed security personnel.
According to him, the laws regulating the sector is outdated, citing the Police Act 1970, and 1992 regulations.
“The laws, interestingly, are very old laws, because the Police Act 1970, and then the regulations, 1992 regulations, 1571 state it. So there had never been any time that private security companies were allowed to hold firearms,” he said on Joynews on Wednesday, June 25, 2026.
He explained that the current regulations have allowed owners of some companies acquire guns in their personal capacities, and turn around to use them in the course of their work.
“You and I come together to set up the company, so we come, we are given the licence, they do all the backgrounds, they check our office, they do all that, and they give us the licence.
“Then we come as individuals, so I’ll come as Muntaka and get a pump action for my self-protection. You come as Evans and get a sidearm for your self-protection,” he disclosed.
Muntaka added that other employees may also cite personal reasons to acquire guns such as pump-action and single-barreled guns.
“We give all those, and then when we give them, because they are working in the company now, they are using it in the company as though that private security company has the mandate to use firearm,” he stated.
The Asawase lawmaker admitted from the host that the practice, as he had described that those persons were exploring a loophole in the regulations, leading to the abuse.
“Yes, so now when you go, and you see it with Evans, and you arrest him, or you demand him to produce a permit, he will produce it, and you see that it’s in his name, but he’s working for a private security company, and he’s always using it.”
He was emphatic that private security companies have no right to arm their personnel.
“No private security company is authorised to use a sidearm or use a firearm,” he said.
On whether there were exceptions or not, the Minister said: “No, we can grant you tasers, maybe pepper spray and other equipment, but not a firearm, it’s only the police that are mandated to carry firearms.”
The Interior Minister averred that measures are in place to avert the current abuse in the system to identify individuals using personally licensed weapons while working for private security firms.
“So now we are doing all this pause to be able to now identify all such individuals and correct it,” he said.
