Security analyst Professor Kwesi Aning has confirmed reports that more than 40,000 rounds of ammunition mysteriously disappeared from the Ministry of Defence Armoury shortly before the previous government handed over power on January 7, 2025.
In an interview with Adom News, Prof. Aning revealed that the late Defence Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, had personally informed him about the troubling incident.
Before his death in a helicopter crash on August 6, 2025, Dr. Boamah had disclosed in July that thousands of rounds of ammunition transferred from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to the National Security Secretariat in 2024 could not be accounted for. He subsequently ordered an internal probe into the matter.
Prof. Aning described the development as extremely disturbing and warned that it poses a serious threat to Ghana’s national security and democratic stability.
“We are currently conducting a detailed assessment to determine how many weapons are now outside state control,” he said. “There are millions of firearms in private hands, and this reality presents a significant danger, especially as we approach the election period.”
He further expressed concern that increasing gun violence, combined with political interference in law enforcement, is eroding citizens’ trust in public institutions.
“Many public officials hesitate to act when political figures flout the law because they fear losing their jobs,” he noted. “This undermines the strength of our institutions and threatens the peace we’ve built over the years.”
Prof. Aning also criticized the misuse of sirens by some government appointees and security officers, reminding that under Ghanaian law, only the President, Vice President, Speaker of Parliament, and Chief Justice are authorized to use them.
“What we are witnessing is blatant lawlessness by individuals who should be leading by example,” he lamented. “It highlights the growing decline in accountability and discipline.”
The security expert urged the government to act swiftly to control the spread of weapons and restore public confidence in the nation’s security systems, warning that failure to do so could endanger national stability.
“We cannot sit idle while arms circulate unchecked and institutions weaken. The time to act decisively is now,” he cautioned.
By Prince Ahenkorah