State Raises Alarm Over Kids With Toy Guns After Violent Clash in Amansie Central
- Ghanaian authorities warn against toy guns amid rising concerns over children's perception of violence
- A tragic incident involving a real gun highlighted the risks of children confusing toys with firearms
- Experts urged parents to promote non-violent play and ensure responsible gun ownership practices
Ghanaian parents have been advised to reconsider buying toy guns for their wards, especially during the festive season.
Joy News reported that the Ghana National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons warned that allowing children to play with toy guns could desensitise them to violence.
Source: Facebook
This follows a clash in the Amansie Central district in the Ashanti Region after a boy was found with a shotgun at Bepotenten Sukuum.
The January 23 incident escalated into violence after police got involved and tried to engage the owner of the gun.
Gyebi Asante, Deputy Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ghana National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, said familiarity with toy guns could set kids down the wrong path.
"The concern is that kids, especially boys, are often given toy guns as playthings, which can lead to a false sense of familiarity with real guns. If their parents accidentally leave a real firearm unsecured, the child might mistake it for a toy and handle it, with potentially disastrous consequences."
He made a strong appeal to parents to ditch the toy guns and opt for alternative, non-violent toys that promote healthy play and development.
Asante believes this can help shape a safer and more responsible mindset in the children and reduce the risk of them getting involved with real guns.
Cyborg appointed Gun Amnesty Ambassador
Alhaji Sarki Abubakar Saddick, the Ghanaian man who went viral for firing a gunshot salute to Nigerian Afrobeat star Asake in Accra, has earned a government appointment.
The Ghana National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons appointed Paa Nii Cyborg, as he is popularly known, as an Ambassador for the Gun Amnesty Programme.
Source: Facebook
The new Gun Amnesty Ambassador visited the Ghana National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons on January 15, 2026.
During his visit, Saddick was educated on the objectives and importance of the Gun Amnesty Programme, as well as the role of citizens in promoting peace and lawful conduct.
Ghana's Gun Amnesty Programme offers Ghanaians the chance to surrender or register illegal firearms without prosecution.
In a post on Facebook, the Ghana National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons indicated that Alhaji Sarki Abubakar Saddick was moved by the mission of the Commission and decided to serve as an ambassador.
Saddick said he had learnt his lesson after the gunshot incident and urged the youth to be at the forefront of building safer communities.
He was fined GH¢24,000 after he was arrested for violating the law in December 2025. This case even came to the attention of President John Mahama.
Medikal joins toy gun craze
YEN.com.gh reported that rapper Medikal joined in on a toy gun craze that trended on social media in 2024, as he played the viral game with an associate in a video that has gone viral
In the video, the musician and his friend exchanged shots as they tried to get the better of each other, hiding behind sofas in a living room.
Source: YEN.com.gh
