Senate Committee Raises Alarm Over 3,900 Missing Firearms.

The Senate Public Accounts Committee has expressed severe concerns about several issues involving the Nigeria Police Force, including financial irregularities and missing weaponry.

The auditor general’s report revealed eight infractions against the police, including contract irregularities worth ₦1.136 billion and the disappearance of over 3,900 firearms, including AK-47 rifles, believed to be in the hands of criminals.

Abdul Suleiman, Assistant Inspector General of Police (Budget), told MPs that the police had properly answered to the audit queries.
However, tensions developed as several lawmakers disagreed on how to proceed. Senator Ningi escalated the situation by calling for an executive session to discuss the topic privately before storming out of the meeting.

Despite this, the committee chairman requested that the AIG reveal the location of the lost firearms, claiming that the matter was of national importance. In response, the AIG asked for restraint, adding that debates about police weapons should not be made public.

“The police will not allow these weapons to go missing at any cost, but this is a security matter best discussed privately,” the officer stated.
However, the majority of MPs emphasised public accountability. Some senators, like Senator Victor Umeh and Senator Joel Onawakpo-Thomas, supported the chairman and opposed proposals for a closed-door session.

Senator Victor Umeh chastised the police for failing to recover the lost guns amidst escalating insecurity across the country.

He claimed that “Thousands of AK-47s are gone at a time when insecurity is at its highest. The cops should have been able to trace these weapons. If nearly 3,900 firearms remain unaccounted for, our security is jeopardised. Claiming it’s a’security issue’ without providing solutions simply adds to the fears.

Following a voice vote in support of the majority, the session resumed overtly.

The police claimed that some of the firearms came from cops who were killed while their weapons were being carried away. He claims that no arms went unaccounted for.

The Committee on Public Accounts expressed dissatisfaction with the explanations and summoned the IGP to appear before the committee on Monday.