Accra: The Open-Source Gun Incidence Report of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) stated that 54 gun-related violent incidents were recorded in the second quarter of 2025. The report highlights a rising trend in gun-related crimes, with the Ashanti Region experiencing the highest number of incidents at 21.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Eastern and Upper East regions followed with eight and seven incidents, respectively. The report, signed by Mr. Carl Nii Anyetei Sowah, the Acting Head of Communications and Media, indicated that gun violence was reported in 11 out of the 16 regions during the period under review, a decrease from the 15 regions affected in the first quarter of the year. Regions such as Bono, Bono East, Savannah, Ahafo, and Upper West maintained a clean record with no reported gun-related incidents, earning commendation from NACSA, which urged other regions to emulate their example.
The leading categories of gun violence included armed robbery with 22 cases, murder with nine, violent clashes with eight, and unlawful possession of firearms with seven cases, collectively accounting for more than 85 percent of the total incidents. Other recorded crimes involved four cases of indiscriminate shootings, two celebratory shootings, and one land dispute.
The report further revealed that males were predominantly involved in gun violence, responsible for 100 percent of the perpetrators and 78 percent of the victims, with 43 deaths recorded, 39 of whom were men. Out of 42 weapons retrieved, pump-action guns (20) were the most common, followed by pistols (10) and AK-47 rifles (three).
NACSA emphasized the alarming rise in gun-related incidents and the urgent need for a comprehensive national response and a more effective legal framework on arms control. The report called for proactive measures to enhance gun control and protect citizens. It appealed to stakeholders, including the Attorney General’s Department, Parliament, and civil society organizations, to support the Minister of the Interior in facilitating the swift passage of the proposed National Arms Bill into law.
The report, part of NACSA’s mandate to monitor gun-related trends and combat illicit firearms, was compiled from credible media sources, inputs from the Commission’s Regional Research Units, and follow-ups with regional police commands.
