The Nigeria Police Force, NPF, has dismissed allegations of 3,907 missing arms, attributing the claims to misleading and inaccurate reports.
A statement signed by ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer, NPF Headquarters, Abuja, on 13 February 2025, explained that the allegations stem from a 2019 assessment by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, AuGF.
According to Adejobi, the report stated that 3,907 arms were “unaccounted for” and not “missing”, as speculated in the news.
This report appears to stem from an assessment by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, dating back to 2019, likely reflecting records compiled prior to the tenure of the current Inspector-General of Police. According to Issue 3b, Sub (iii) of the report, it is stated that 3,907 arms were unaccounted for and not ‘missing’ as speculated in the news.
“The Force has previously defended the audit queries, which were intended to help reconcile discrepancies in the reports. However, the hearing session, presided over by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, has been postponed to Monday, 17 February 2025, allowing ample time for a proper cross-analysis of records,” the statement added.
The Force acknowledged challenges during periods of civil unrest, including attacks on police facilities and officers, resulting in the loss of arms.
Adejobi noted: “It is important to acknowledge the challenges faced by the police during periods of civil unrest, during which several police officers were killed, their arms carted away, and police facilities and armouries looted, resulting in the loss of arms.”
The Force spokesman also emphasised its commitment to transparency and accountability, highlighting its statutory and annual internal auditing process, saying:
“This process ensures controlled movement and proper accountability of arms, with efforts made to recover lost arms.”
The statement further clarified that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, was not present during the Senate Committee on Public Accounts hearing when questions were raised about the missing firearms, adding that he appeared briefly before the committee on 11 February 2025 to address a previous invitation, and was thereafter excused.
