The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed claims that 3,907 firearms are missing from its armouries, describing the reports as misleading and inaccurate.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, clarified that while some weapons were lost during civil unrest, many have been recovered, and accountability measures remain in place.
“Every effort has been made to account for the arms that were taken, while many have been recovered back to the arms holding of the force at the moment,” Adejobi stated.
The allegations stem from a 2019 audit report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF), which does not reflect the tenure of the current Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
According to the police, auditors may not find all firearms in the armouries during inspections due to their issuance to personnel for ongoing operations.
“We also note that when auditors conduct visits to our armouries, they may not find all arms present at the time due to the issuance of weapons to personnel for operational purposes, many spanning months depending on the nature of such operations,” Adejobi explained.
Furthermore, the police emphasized their internal auditing processes to ensure transparency and accountability in firearm management.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Public Accounts has postponed a hearing on the matter to February 17, 2025, to allow a thorough review of the audit records.
Addressing concerns about the IGP’s presence, Adejobi clarified, “Contrary to the make-believe and misleading reportage by some media houses, the IGP was not present when the senators were raising questions on the purported ‘missing’ firearms.”
The police also accused certain individuals of attempting to undermine public trust in the force through misinformation.
Despite these allegations, the police have reassured the public of their commitment to transparency and security.
“However, the NPF remains committed to maintaining transparency and public trust and will continue to uphold the security of the nation while honouring the duty to account for all operational materials entrusted to us,” Adejobi affirmed.
