The firing of muskets during funerals and traditional ceremonies is an age-old Ghanaian cultural practice that continues to be widely observed across ethnic groups. Typically associated with the celebration of festivals and commemorative events, musketry has historically served as a symbolic expression of honour, bravery, masculinity, and community pride.
However, ceremonial gunfire, once limited to the use of locally manufactured, low-powered firearms, has in recent times evolved into a dangerous trend. Increasingly, traditional warriors and participants are substituting muskets with sophisticated and often illicit firearms, posing an escalating threat to public safety and national security (Kumadoe, 2025).
This transition from symbolic display to dangerous indulgence has resulted in some fatal incidents in the past and recently, too. A notable case occurred in January 2008, when a police officer, Constable Andrew Yankey of the Police Dragon Unit[ZK1] , fatally shot a 70-year-old farmer during the funeral of a fellow officer in Asueyi near Techiman. The police officers, flouting regulations that restrict ceremonial gunfire to specific circumstances, began indiscriminately firing their weapons in the churchyard, also injuring three other individuals (Daily Graphic, 2008).
More recently, in January 2025, journalist Kofi Adomah Nwanwani suffered a severe eye injury during a funeral in Dormaa, Bono Region in Ghana as a result of celebratory gunfire, necessitating emergency surgery abroad (Joy News, 2025).
Similarly, on June 19, 2025, a tragic event at a naming ceremony in Gbawe Zero, Accra,Ghana saw the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Queen Mother Pearl Naa Dodoowa Whitaker, with another woman sustaining gunshot injuries. The suspect, a 21-year-old commercial motorbike (okada) rider, reportedly discharged the weapon as part of his musketry display while under the influence of a locally brewed drink, suspected to be laced with narcotics. Investigators suspect the shooting was not accidental but was fuelled by impaired judgment and lack of regulation (Ghana Police Service, 2025).
Additional fatalities have been recorded at other events, including the Fire Festival in the Nanumba North Municipality of the Northern region,Ghana in July 2025, where a stray musket bullet killed an 18-year-old student named Fatima (Citinewsroom, 2025).
In 2024, a Junior High School student died when a musket he attempted to fire exploded during the Wulensi Fire Festival, while in 2023, a 14-year-old, Masawudu Abdul-Aziz, was fatally hit by stray bullets during a celebration in Aboabo, Ashanti Region (Ghana News Agency, 2024). These events highlight a disturbing pattern of deaths and injuries caused by mismanaged or illegal use of firearms during festive activities.
Security Consultant Richard Kumadoe asserts that traditional leaders have lost control over who bears arms at such events, with many participants using unregistered and high-powered weapons without proper oversight (Myjoyonline.com, 2025).
Kumadoe emphasised the urgent need for improved licensing systems, thorough background checks, and stringent firearm registration processes to mitigate risks associated with civilian gun ownership (Myjoyonline.com, 2025).
Similarly, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Dr Adam Bonaa, has proposed that the government of Ghana ban the display and firing of guns at festivals. He partly blames the festering security use of arms at cultural ceremonies on outdated regulations. “Do I blame them? Yes, on one leg, I will blame those perpetrators who did that. But I must also blame the fact that we do not have adequate regulation to cater for what happened,” he told GHOne TV, adding: “At the moment, what we are doing in the arms race in Ghana is attempting to enforce. You cannot enforce without adequate regulation. It’s simply not possible.”
The Greater Threat
The proliferation of unlicensed arms, often procured through illicit means or manufactured locally without regulation, exacerbates the threat. This is particularly concerning in areas linked to illegal mining activities, where galamsey operations have reportedly created armed enclaves. Viral footage recently showed young men in such communities brandishing sophisticated military-grade weapons for musketry display during funerals, underscoring the dangerous intersection between underground economies and unregulated armed displays (Bona & Kumadoe, 2025).
Beyond fatalities and injuries, the public discharge of firearms at social events constitutes a violation of Ghana’s legal frameworks governing arms usage. The Arms and Ammunition Act (Act 118 of 1962) explicitly prohibits the unauthorised use of firearms in public spaces. Yet, enforcement remains inconsistent, and perpetrators are often not held accountable. This impunity not only emboldens offenders but also undermines national security institutions and the rule of law (Ghana Legal Council, 2024).
Furthermore, the psychological impact of these incidents, especially on vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly, cannot be overstated. The presence of live gunfire at social gatherings heightens anxiety, erodes community trust, discourages tourism, and threatens the sanctity of cultural events.
Unchecked firearm use at such gatherings increases the risk of armed groups infiltrating communities under the guise of cultural celebration, using the cover of festivities to carry out retaliatory violence (Bempah, 2025).
Proposed Solutions
To address this growing menace, there is a critical need for a multipronged approach. Public education campaigns must be intensified in partnership with traditional authorities, youth groups, and civil society organisations to raise awareness of the risks associated with festive musketry. Simultaneously, the Ghana Police Service should increase monitoring and enforcement at public events, ensuring that only authorised personnel use firearms under strict supervision (Ministry of Interior, 2025).
Moreover, introducing professional training and licensing schemes for traditional warriors who use firearms during ceremonies would significantly reduce accidents. Such initiatives should mandate the use of registered, low-risk arms such as blanks or rubber bullets to preserve cultural practices without compromising safety.
Traditional leaders must also take proactive roles in enforcing internal controls and reporting misuse to law enforcement.
Conclusion
While Ghana’s cultural heritage and traditional celebrations are vital to national identity, the reckless and unregulated use of live firearms at public events poses clear and preventable dangers. A comprehensive, collaborative strategy that balances respect for tradition with rigorous enforcement of safety regulations is urgently needed to protect lives, uphold the law, and maintain public confidence in national security systems. Ghana’s security apparatus must urgently develop a clear-cut strategy to curb the threat by sternly enforcing existing laws and, if necessary, enacting tailor-made ones to specifically address this growing security concern, which, if left unaddressed, can become another convenient conduit for both local and international terrorism. The state must recognise that times have changed, and so must the country’s laws and strategies in dealing with the security excesses that come with using guns at cultural ceremonies.
References
- Kumadoe, R. (2025). Interview on the dangers of unregulated musketry displays. Myjoyonline.com
- Daily Graphic. (2008, January). Police officer kills civilian during funeral at Asueyi near Techiman. Accra: Graphic Communications Group Ltd.
- Joy News. (2025, January). Kofi Adomah Nwanwani sustains eye injury during funeral in Dormaa. Multimedia Group.
- Ghana Police Service. (2025, June 20). Press release on Gbawe Zero funeral shooting. Accra.
- Citinewsroom. (2025, July). Stray bullet kills teenager during Fire Festival in Nanumba North Municipality. www.citinewsroom.com
- Ghana News Agency. (2024). Musket explosion kills student during Wulensi Fire Festival. www.gna.org.gh
- Myjoyonline.com. (2025). Security consultant and NCASALW call for firearm regulations during cultural events. Multimedia Group.
- GHOne TV. (2025). Interview with Dr Adam Bonaa on gunfire regulation at festivals. EIB Network.
- Bona, A. & Kumadoe, R. (2025). Security Implications of Festive Musketry in Ghana. Unpublished report shared in interviews with Joy News and GHOne TV.
- Ghana Legal Council. (2024). Review of the Arms and Ammunition Act (Act 118 of 1962). Accra: Ghana Publishing Corporation.
- Bempah, K. (2025). Festivities and Firearms: Emerging Risks in Ghana’s Cultural Landscape. Centre for Security and Development Studies (CSDS), Accra.
Ministry of Interior. (2025). Policy brief on enforcement mechanisms for firearms at public gatherings. Accra.
