Police Issue Stern Warning on Illegal Firearm Use After Bimbilla Festival Tragedy
Accra, Ghana - 7 July, 2025 - A tragic shooting at a cultural festival in northern Ghana has prompted the Accra Regional Police Command to issue a stern warning against the unlawful use of firearms at public and cultural gatherings, citing the growing threat to public safety.
The statement, delivered on 7 July 2025, follows the death of a teenage student struck by a stray bullet, highlighting the dangers of a rising trend in the use of sophisticated weapons during traditional celebrations.
Superintendent Juliana Obeng, Head of Public Affairs for the Accra Regional Police Command, condemned the reckless discharge of firearms during a press briefing in Accra. She described the practice as a grave risk to lives, emphasizing that possessing and firing guns without legal authorization is a serious criminal offence under Ghana’s Arms and Ammunition Decree, NRCD 9 of 1972.
“At this moment, we would want to take the opportunity to strongly condemn the reckless and unlawful use of firearms at public and cultural events, which poses a grave risk to lives and public safety,” she said at a press briefing in Accra.
Offenders, she warned, would face severe legal consequences. The police urged the public to report illegal firearm activities to ensure safe festivities, particularly with the upcoming Homowo festival in August, a major cultural event for the Ga people in Accra that traditionally involves musketry.
“The command goes again to remind the public that possession and discharge of firearms without lawful authority is a serious offence and those who are found to be flouting the law will be dealt with accordingly,” she stated.
The warning comes in the wake of a fatal incident on 6 July at the Fire Festival in Bimbilla, Nanumba North Municipality, Northern Region, where 17-year-old Fatima, a second-year student at Bimbilla Senior High School, was killed by a stray bullet. The incident occurred during a procession from the regent’s palace to Wampu Dam, a key ritual site for the annual festival celebrating the Nanumba people’s heritage.
Local reports indicate that the use of live ammunition, rather than traditional gunpowder-loaded muskets, contributed to the tragedy. The Ghana Police Service has launched an investigation, with no arrests reported as of 7 July, though authorities are appealing for witnesses to come forward.The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) has expressed alarm over a string of firearm-related incidents in 2025.
In April, a student at Seventh Day Adventist Senior High School in Bantama, Ashanti Region, was blinded by an accidental discharge during a school break. In February, a Ga-Adagme Muslim Union queen mother was fatally shot during her enskinment ceremony in Greater Accra. NACSA reported that firearms were used in 62.8% of violent crimes in Ghana from January to June 2022, a trend that persists, with 14 new violent attacks recorded by February 2024.
The commission is intensifying efforts to curb illegal arms through border control, weapons destruction, and public sensitization campaigns, including school outreach programs in collaboration with the National Commission for Civic Education.Ghana’s firearm regulations, managed by the Central Firearms Registry under the Criminal Investigation Department, require licensing for individuals over 18 who are mentally sound and of good character.
