The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has dismissed claims that 3,907 firearms have gone missing from its armories, describing the reports as misleading.
The Force Headquarters clarified that the figures referenced in recent reports came from an audit conducted in 2019, before the tenure of the current Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
According to Force Public Relations d the firearms in question were not missing but had been assigned to officers for operational duties and were later recovered.
He explained that the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF) did not declare the weapons missing but only noted that some could not be physically verified during the audit.
The police also pointed out that law enforcement agencies often face challenges during civil unrest, with officers being attacked and weapons stolen. However, efforts have been made to recover any lost arms.
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts had scheduled a hearing on the matter, but the session has now been postponed to Monday, February 17, 2025.
The police assured Nigerians of their commitment to accountability and transparency while cautioning against the spread of misinformation designed to undermine public confidence in security agencies.
