Nigeria Police Force has dismissed reports alleging that 3,907 firearms are missing from its armouries, describing the claims as misleading and inaccurate. The Force Headquarters clarified that while some weapons were lost during civil unrest, many have since been recovered.
In a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, the police emphasized that every effort has been made to account for weapons taken during attacks on police facilities. "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 statement, titled "Alleged Missing Arms: Police Clarifies Allegations of 3,907 Unaccounted Arms," explained that the allegations stem from a 2019 audit report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF) and do not reflect the tenure of the current Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
"The Nigeria Police Force expresses surprise and deep concerns regarding recent news alleging that 3,907 arms are missing from the Nigeria Police Force," the statement read. "These allegations are misleading and inaccurate."
The police further noted that during audits, some firearms might not be present in the armouries due to their issuance to personnel for operational purposes. "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 said. "Consequently, this may lead to misconceptions regarding the accuracy of audit reports."
The Force emphasized its internal auditing measures, stating that its statutory and annual audit processes ensure accountability and control over all firearms. "Throughout our audits, there has been no outrageous record of unaccounted or missing arms, as speculated in the 2019 report of the AuGF, despite some incidences that have been documented and managed," the statement added.
The police also pointed out that the Senate Committee on Public Accounts has postponed a hearing on the matter to February 17, 2025, allowing for a detailed review of the audit records.
"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," Adejobi stated. "The IGP appeared briefly before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Tuesday, 11/02/25. He was asked to take the usual oath and explain why he did not honour previous invitations by the committee."
The police accused certain individuals of attempting to undermine public confidence in the force through misinformation. "Managing mischief and the spread of misinformation against the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has been a significant challenge in recent times," the statement noted. "The NPF has, in recent times, made notable strides in stabilizing the internal security space, but malicious actors seek to undermine these efforts by striving to erode public confidence in the police through the spread of malicious content."
The statement concluded with a reassurance of the police's commitment to transparency and accountability. "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 said.
