The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has demanded that the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, explain the disappearance of 3,907 firearms within the Nigerian Police Force, as reported by the office of the Auditor General of the Federation.
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi, the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate and Vice Chairman of the Committee, addressed newsmen on Wednesday, emphasizing the need for the firearms to be accounted for to assist lawmakers in preparing future budgets. He explained that the report from the Auditor General’s office covered the period from 2019 to the present, highlighting the missing firearms, most notably AK-47 rifles.
“We are currently reviewing the report from the Auditor General’s office covering 2019 to date, and it shows that 3,907 firearms, mainly AK-47s, are missing within the Nigerian Police Force. This is a matter we must address,” Senator Nwebonyi stated.
He further revealed that, during investigations, it was found that some of the firearms were lost due to the deaths of the officers who were in possession of them. “These officers made the ultimate sacrifice, and we should honor them as a nation,” he added. However, he expressed concern that more than 99% of the firearms remain unaccounted for.
As a result, the Committee requested that an Assistant Inspector General (AIG), representing the IGP, return with more detailed information. Nwebonyi emphasized that the missing firearms must be accounted for to inform decisions on police budget allocations. “If the Nigerian police is losing such a large number of firearms, it is vital that they are supported in replacing them, but the missing firearms must be properly accounted for,” he said.
The IGP had appeared before the Senate Committee on Tuesday regarding the missing firearms but excused himself and left Assistant Inspector General of Police (Budget), Abdul Suleiman, to respond to the senators’ questions. Despite the AIG’s explanation that discussions about police firepower should remain private due to security concerns, the Committee insisted on public accountability.
Senators, including Victor Umeh and Joel Onawakpo-Thomas, supported the chairman’s call for transparency, disagreeing with the suggestion for a closed-door session. In response, the police explained that some of the missing weapons were taken by criminals after officers were killed in the line of duty.
However, the Committee expressed dissatisfaction with the explanations and has summoned the IGP to appear again on Monday for further clarification.
