The Nigeria Police Force denies reports of missing firearms, calling them misleading. Officials acknowledge past security challenges but insist many lost weapons have been recovered. The Senate hearing on the matter has been postponed for further review.

The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed reports suggesting that thousands of firearms are missing from its armoury, calling them “misleading and inaccurate.”

This comes after a meeting on Tuesday between the Nigerian Senate Committee on Public Accounts and senior police officials, amid growing concerns over frequent attacks by armed groups in the country.

Local media reported that the discussion focused on the alleged disappearance of 178,459 firearms, including 88,078 AK-47 rifles, from police inventory, an issue first highlighted by the Auditor General of the Federation in 2019.

Following the reports on Tuesday’s appearance of Nigerian police chief, Kayode Egbetokun, before the senate committee, the police force issued a clarification in a statement.

“No outrageous number of firearms is missing in the armouries of the NPF within the stated period,” police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi stated on Thursday.

He acknowledged the challenges faced by the police during periods of civil unrest, noting that officers were killed, their weapons seized, and police facilities, including armories, attacked and looted.

However, Adejobi assured that efforts have been made to account for the lost weapons, with many already recovered and returned to police inventory.

The hearing, presided over by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, has been postponed to Monday, February 17, 2025, to allow for a thorough cross-analysis of records, according to the police.

Nigeria has been struggling with security challenges in recent years, as terrorist groups, armed robbers, and kidnapping gangs continue to carry out deadly attacks.

Experts and authorities frequently express concern over the proliferation of arms among non-state actors, citing it as a major factor contributing to the country's security crisis.