𝐍𝐀𝐂𝐒𝐀 𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐔 𝐍𝐀𝐀 𝐎𝐍 𝐀 𝐆𝐔𝐍-𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄-𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

The Northern Regional Office of the Commission paid a courtesy call on the Sagnarigu Naa at the Sagnarigu Palace on 24 June 2026.

The visit, which also forms part of efforts to promote peace and public safety ahead of the 2026 Fire Festival celebrations, provided an opportunity to raise awareness on the dangers associated with the misuse of firearms during traditional festivities and to encourage peaceful and gun-incident-free celebrations across the Northern Region.

During the meeting, the Commission briefed the Sagnarigu Naa on its mandate and expressed concern over the proliferation of illicit arms and the risks posed by the misuse of firearms during festive occasions. The Commission also reiterated the prohibition on the use of automatic and semi-automatic weapons during traditional celebrations, stressing that cap guns remain the approved firearms for such occasions.

In his remarks, Naa Bapra Sagnari Naa Yakubu Abdulai (Dunkurigu Naa) commended the Commission for the initiative, noting that firearms are not toys and should only be used under lawful conditions.

He further emphasised that military-style weapons are not part of Dagbon customs and should not be displayed during festivals, irrespective of licensing status.

The Sagnarigu Naa also called for fairness in the enforcement of firearms regulations and identified mistrust, suspicion, and drug abuse as major contributors to gun-related incidents and insecurity within communities. He stressed that peace is a continuous process that demands the collective commitment of all stakeholders.

The engagement concluded with a renewed commitment by both the Commission and the Sagnarigu Naa to work together to promote peace, public safety, and a peaceful, gun-incident-free Fire Festival celebration in the Northern Region.