The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has addressed concerns over reports that 3,907 firearms are unaccounted for from its armoury, clarifying that the issue predates the tenure of the current Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.
Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Tuesday, explained that the missing weapons were referenced in a 2019 audit report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF). He emphasized that the arms were not necessarily “missing” but were unaccounted for due to various circumstances, including civil unrest.
“In the report, according to Issue 3b, Sub (iii), it is stated that 3,907 arms were unaccounted for and not ‘missing’ as speculated in the news,” Adejobi stated.
He further noted that during periods of unrest, several police officers were killed, and their weapons were taken, while some police facilities and armouries were attacked and looted. However, the force has been making efforts to recover these arms, and many have already been retrieved.
Adejobi also explained that when auditors inspect police armouries, some weapons may not be present because they have been issued to officers for operational duties, which can last for months. This, he said, sometimes leads to misunderstandings regarding audit findings.
The statement comes after public concern over reports highlighting the loss of firearms, with some stakeholders urging tighter security measures around police armouries to prevent future incidents.
The police assured Nigerians that ongoing measures are in place to track and recover all unaccounted-for weapons while strengthening security protocols to prevent further losses.
