There are rising concerns about the proliferation of unregistered and unlicensed small arms usage in the Upper East region.
Regional Programmes Officer for the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Victor Abo-Ame Akanbonga, disclosed in a media engagement that a national survey revealed that there are over 2.3 million small arms in the hands of civilians, which situation he said is even worse in the Upper East region.
Mr. Akanbonga cited the various chieftaincy and land disputes as motivation for the trade and circulation of illegal small arms in the region.
“A search conducted by the commission estimated that 2.3 million small arms are in the hands of civilians, which means that it’s a very serious issue in the region.”
He added that the Small Arms Commission is collaborating with relevant stakeholders to retrieve all such illegal firearms and urged residents of the region to report an illegal position to the authorities.
