By Dansu Peter The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has strongly refuted recent media reports alleging that 3,907 firearms are missing from its ...
By Dansu Peter
In a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police clarified that the figure cited in the reports originates from an audit by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF) dating back to 2019. According to the statement, the report merely indicated that the firearms were "unaccounted for" at the time, rather than conclusively missing.
The police further explained that various operational factors contribute to temporary discrepancies in armory records. These include the routine issuance of firearms to officers for extended field operations, incidents of weapons being stolen during civil unrest, and the complexities involved in reconciling armory audits. The statement emphasized that significant efforts have been made to recover firearms lost during attacks on police formations, and many have since been accounted for.
"The Nigeria Police Force has a robust internal auditing process that adheres to Police Regulations and standard operating procedures. There has been no outrageous record of missing arms, contrary to what has been speculated in the 2019 audit report," the statement noted.
Addressing concerns over the recent Senate hearing on the matter, the police clarified that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) was not present during discussions on the audit report. Instead, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, in charge of Accounts and Budget, represented the force to respond to queries related to a period preceding the current IGP’s tenure.
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has since rescheduled further deliberations on the matter to February 17, 2025, allowing for a more comprehensive review of records.
The police condemned what it described as a deliberate attempt by certain media outlets to misinform the public, warning that the spread of falsehoods could undermine national security and public confidence in law enforcement.
Despite the controversy, the NPF reassured Nigerians of its commitment to transparency, accountability, and safeguarding the nation, urging the public to disregard sensationalized reports that could misrepresent the reality of police operations.
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