Wa, Sept 20, GNA - The Upper West Regional Police Command has expressed its dissatisfaction at the reluctance of people in the region to comply with its directive to submit firearms in their possession for re-registration.

The Command attributed the situation to misinformation that was being circulated in the rural areas that the exercise was a ploy by the police to seize weapons from their owners. A statement signed by Mr George Anko-Bil, the Regional Police Commander, explained that the move was a nation-wide exercise to compile data on the number of arms and ammunition in the system in order to check their misuse.

The statement said the few who presented their guns for registration got them back on the very day they were re-registered. It said the police believed in the need for people to protect themselves against criminals in any lawful manner and would do nothing to cripple their defence systems.

The statement appealed to those who are yet to present their firearms for re-registration to do so without the fear of losing them.