The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has dismissed the claims that 3,907 firearms were missing from its armouries, stressing that it was a misinterpretation of an old audit report.
According to the statement on Tuesday, the force clarified that the figure being circulated originates from a 2019 audit report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF).
NPF noted that the report indicated that the arms were “unaccounted for” at the time of the audit, not “missing,” as widely speculated.
The force said at its routine audits, some weapons may not be physically present in the armouries because they were given to officers on operations for some periods, adding that this may lead to discrepancies in audit records but does not mean the firearms were missing.
NPF acknowledged incidents such as attacks on police stations during civil unrest have resulted in arms being taken by criminals, stressing efforts to recover the weapons and stolen arms.
Reacting to the ongoing inquiry of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts into the matter, the force clarified that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) was not questioned about missing firearms during his recent appearance before the committee.
Instead, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Accounts and Budget responded to queries of records preceding the current IGP’s tenure.
The police emphasized a well-established internal auditing system designed to track the movement of arms to ensure accountability, adding that past audit queries have been addressed while the upcoming Senate hearing on February 17, 2025, would provide a detailed review of the records.
NPF warned against “misleading and sensationalized narratives stating they could damage public confidence in the force and undermine national security efforts.
“The spread of misinformation, particularly against security institutions, can have serious consequences, including weakening public trust and affecting the police’s ability to maintain law and order,” NPF stated.
