The Nigerian Senate is pressing the police to account for over 182,000 missing firearms, including AK-47 rifles, and to explain ₦1.136 billion in contract irregularities flagged in audit reports.

The Nigerian Police Force is facing increasing pressure to account for thousands of firearms missing from its inventory, including AK-47 rifles, according to reports from local media.

During a sitting on Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Public Accounts expressed concerns over the disappearance of 3,907 rifles and pistols from various police formations across the country in 2020. The committee also revisited the issue of 178,459 missing firearms, including 88,078 AK-47 rifles, which was first highlighted in a 2019 report by the Auditor General of the Federation.

In addition to the missing firearms, senators questioned police authorities about contract irregularities totaling ₦1.136 billion ($756,128), which were also flagged in the auditor general’s 2019 report.

The audit report noted that as of December 2018, 178,459 firearms remained unaccounted for, including 88,078 AK-47 rifles. By January 2020, at