Ya-Na Abukari II, the Overlord of Dagbon, has issued a directive to all local chiefs ordering them to immediately cease the exhibition of weapons and live ammunition during the performance of traditional ceremonies within their respective spheres of influence.
He asserted that it was inappropriate for people to publicly show live ammunition at funerals and religious celebrations.
The Ya-Na also stated that as the Kingdom was not at war, it was inappropriate to flaunt weaponry, even advanced weapons, illegally in recent times.
"You should be reminded that Dagbon is not at war. I, therefore, direct all chiefs and the youth in Dagbon to henceforth stop the display and use of assault rifles on all occasions.
"Members of this august Dagbon Traditional Council (DTC) should, as a matter of urgency, implement this directive within their respective traditional areas," he ordered.
The Ya-Na issued the order last Saturday while speaking to a DTC emergency meeting in Tamale, the capital of the Northern Regional.
Members of the council gathered for the meeting, where they discussed ways to stop the spread of illegal small guns and possible solutions.
One billion tiny guns are thought to be in use globally by terrorists, violent extremists, organized criminals, and fighting gangs, posing a serious danger to international peace and security.
In the northern region, the use of weapons during customary events like funerals, festivals, and other social gatherings has become a cause for concern.
"I have been reliably informed by my elders, some security persons and other peace-loving citizens about the brazen impunity by some youth in carrying sophisticated weapons and live ammunition at funerals, especially during the installation of regents and the circumambulation of houses," the Ya-Na said.
He counselled the young to abstain from acts of violence and instead try to promote the region's rich and long-standing culture and customs.
Following that, council members pledged their dedication and preparedness to see that the Ya-Na's instruction was carried out correctly to put an end to the threat in the region.
Afi Azaratu Yakubu, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons said that more than three million citizens were in possession of illegal firearms, a scenario that constituted a severe risk to the nation's security.
She praised the DTC for its efforts to stop the spread of illicit weapons in the region and asked others to take up the cause.
Shani Alhassan Shaibu, the minister for the Northern Region, emphasized the need of making it difficult to import and export small guns and light weapons within the nation.
"According to security experts, this unfortunate phenomenon, if not nipped in the bud, has the potential of eroding the peace that we have enjoyed over the period, which has propelled some significant economic growth and development in the region," he added.