The Kantanka Security Services Limited has had its operating licence suspended with immediate effect by the Ministry of the Interior, following a violent shooting incident involving its personnel in Accra.
The directive comes barely a day after armed private security officers attached to the firm were implicated in a confrontation at a residence in Kwabenya that left Sarah Adwoa Safo, former Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya and daughter of Apostle Kwadwo Safo, injured. The incident unfolded at the home of Israel Kwadwo Safo Akofena, her younger brother, where a simmering family dispute over the succession of their late father escalated into gunfire on Sunday.
Initial police findings suggest that officers deployed to the scene were carrying shotguns and a pistol at the time of the incident. Six personnel were subsequently arrested by the Ghana Police Service shortly after the shooting.
Under Ghanaian law, private security firms are prohibited from arming their personnel with firearms as part of their licensing conditions. However, preliminary investigations point to potential breaches, including alleged possession and use of firearms and ammunition, as well as the use of unapproved uniforms during the operation.
In a statement, the Interior Ministry said the suspension followed early indications that the company may have violated provisions of the Police Service (Private Security Organisations) Regulations, 1992 (L.I. 1571), which govern the conduct and operations of private security providers in the country.
As part of the enforcement measures, the ministry has ordered Kantanka Security Services Limited to immediately halt all activities while investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the incident. It also cautioned all institutions and clients to suspend any ongoing engagements with the company until further notice and until the conclusion of official inquiries.
The ministry further stressed that the company is expected to fully cooperate with investigators and provide any relevant information required by law enforcement authorities to ensure a comprehensive probe into the matter.
The case has since drawn heightened attention due to its connection to a prominent Ghanaian industrial and political family, as authorities work to establish the full sequence of events that led to the shooting and determine any regulatory breaches.
