The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has dismissed recent media reports suggesting that nearly 4,000 firearms have gone missing from its armouries. In a statement issued on Thursday, the police clarified that these claims are based on outdated information from an audit report conducted in 2019 and do not reflect the current status of the police armouries.
The allegations gained attention after a February 11 hearing by the Senate Public Accounts Committee, where the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, was questioned about discrepancies in the police’s armoury records. The committee had cited the 2019 report, which revealed that 3,907 firearms, including assault rifles, were listed as “unaccounted for.”
However, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has highlighted that the term “unaccounted for” in the report does not mean the firearms are missing, as some media outlets have suggested.
“The report appears to stem from an assessment of the 2019 audit, which likely reflects records compiled before the tenure of the current Inspector-General of Police,” Adejobi stated. “The report states that 3,907 arms were ‘unaccounted for,’ not ‘missing,’ as speculated in the news.”
This clarification came after reports surfaced of a heated Senate grilling, where the Senate committee raised concerns about the possible loss of over 178,000 firearms from police formations across Nigeria. Among the missing arms, they highlighted the disappearance of 88,078 AK-47 rifles.
While the police agree that the audit findings may have raised concerns, they explained that discrepancies in records often occur during audits for several reasons, some of which are outside the control of the police.
“The issue with the audit records is often tied to the fact that officers are assigned firearms for operations, and some may not be present during the auditors’ visits. These operations can span months, and the absence of certain weapons at the time of an audit may lead to a misinterpretation of the situation,” Adejobi explained.
Furthermore, the police acknowledged that some weapons have been lost due to attacks on police formations, particularly during periods of civil unrest. These attacks have resulted in officers being killed, and in some cases, their firearms were taken by assailants.
“It is important to acknowledge the challenges faced by the police during periods of civil unrest, where several officers were killed and their arms carted away,” the police statement read. “However, every effort has been made to recover these arms, and many have already been accounted for.”
The police force also took the opportunity to address what they described as “misinformation” circulating in the media, warning that such claims could harm public trust in law enforcement. ACP Adejobi expressed concerns that these reports, which focus on past issues, could negatively affect the image of the police, particularly at a time when security challenges are high.
“The proliferation of misinformation, especially against institutions like the Nigeria Police, has far-reaching consequences. It undermines public confidence, damages reputations, and hinders our ability to effectively maintain law and order,” Adejobi said.
The police also reminded the public that the claims of missing firearms in the 2019 audit do not reflect the actions or policies of the current IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, who assumed office in June 2023, after being appointed by President Bola Tinubu.
“For the record, no such outrageous number of firearms is missing in the armouries of the NPF within the stated period,” the police statement clarified.
Following the February 11 hearing, the Senate Committee on Public Accounts has postponed further proceedings to Monday, February 17, 2025, allowing the police time to reconcile discrepancies in their armoury records. During the hearing, it was reported that IGP Egbetokun did not attend the session in person. Instead, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Accounts and Budget, Abdul Sulaiman, stayed behind to respond to the queries raised by the committee.
Contrary to reports suggesting that Egbetokun had failed to appear before the committee, Adejobi clarified that the IGP had only attended briefly to address concerns regarding his previous absence from invitations. After providing satisfactory answers to the committee members, the IGP was excused, leaving Sulaiman to continue answering the questions on audit matters.
The Senate committee is now expected to resume hearings after a brief hiatus to allow the police more time to update and reconcile their records.
As the controversy surrounding the missing firearms continues to make headlines, many Nigerians are concerned about the state of security in the country, particularly in light of the recent surge in criminal activity and violence. The police force is under increasing pressure to improve its accountability and transparency in handling its arms and resources.
