The Ghana Police Service has arrested a man who discharged a firearm during the visit of Nigerian Afrobeats singer Ahmed Ololade, popularly known as Asake, to the El Wak Stadium in Accra.

The suspect, identified as Abubakar Sadick, was taken into custody for the unlawful possession and discharge of a firearm following an incident that occurred on December 28. According to the police, the action violated Ghana’s firearms regulations, regardless of the intent behind it.

A video that later went viral on X showed Sadick, known locally as Cyborg, pulling out a semi automatic rifle in the middle of a crowd and firing shots into the air as Asake arrived. The footage initially caused panic among onlookers. However, Sadick was heard urging the crowd to remain calm, saying he only wanted to honour the singer with a gun salute.

In the video, he pleaded openly, saying the act was not permitted under Ghanaian law but insisted he was acting out of excitement. He described Asake as “my brother from another mother” before firing the weapon into the air.

The Ghana Police confirmed the arrest in a statement posted on their official X handle on Tuesday. According to the statement, officers recovered a Derya MK-12 rifle with registration number 22-GHA-1162 from the suspect. Sadick has since been detained and will be prosecuted once investigations are concluded.

The police also issued a public warning, stressing that owning a registered firearm does not grant the right to discharge it indiscriminately or in public spaces.

Meanwhile, Asake paid a visit to Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, shortly after the arrest. During the meeting, the President asked the singer if he was the person for whom the gun salute was fired.

Responding, Asake expressed sympathy for Sadick and said the act was driven by excitement rather than malicious intent. “I heard that they arrested him. Let me just say we were all just happy and excited,” the singer said.

President Mahama, however, reaffirmed the country’s position on public safety and gun control. “The law is the law,” he said, according to those present, before posing for photographs with the artist and his team.

The incident has renewed public discussion in Ghana about firearm control, crowd safety, and the limits of personal celebration during high profile public events.