Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak has declared that private security companies in Ghana have no legal authority to possess or deploy firearms, stressing that existing laws do not permit such operations.
The Asawase MP, who was speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Wednesday, June 25, 2026, revealed how some private security firms have exploited a loophole in the outdated legal framework to arm their personnel.
Mr Muntaka explained that the sector is regulated by the Police Act of 1970 and the 1992 regulations (LI 1571), which have never authorised private security companies to hold firearms.
“Another thing that we also notice is that the private security companies come and we license them here,” he said, adding that while companies are properly licensed after background checks and inspections, the law does not extend to arming their operatives.
He noted that some firms have circumvented the restriction by encouraging owners and employees to acquire firearms in their personal capacities for “self-protection” and then using those weapons for company duties.
“You and I come together to set up the company… 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,” the minister illustrated.
He added that employees also obtain pump-action guns, single-barreled guns, or sidearms under personal licences, which are then deployed while on duty for the companies.
Host Evans Mensah observed that private security operators appeared to have “found a loophole in the legal regime and are exploiting it,” a point Mr Muntaka readily agreed with.
The Interior Minister was emphatic that no private security company is authorised to use firearms.
“No private security company is authorised to use a sidearm or use a firearm,” he stated. He, however, noted that companies could be permitted non-lethal equipment such as tasers and pepper spray.
Mr Muntaka disclosed that the authorities are currently reviewing the situation and identifying individuals who are using personally licensed firearms while working for private security firms, with plans to correct the anomaly.
The comments come amid growing concerns over the proliferation of armed private security personnel across the country, particularly at residential, commercial, and industrial sites.
