The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has debunked claims that 3,907 firearms are missing from its armouries, describing the allegations as misleading and inaccurate.
The Force Headquarters explained in a statement on Thursday says that the figures referenced in recent reports stem from an audit assessment conducted in 2019, before the tenure of the current Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
According to Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, the purported number of missing firearms is a misrepresentation, as many of the arms in question had been issued to officers for operational duties and subsequently recovered.
These allegations are misleading and inaccurate. The report from the AuGF does not indicate that 3,907 arms were missing, but rather unaccounted for at the time of the audit. This means that auditors could not physically verify all arms, as some had been deployed for operations,” the statement read.
The police further noted that law enforcement agencies often face logistical challenges, particularly during periods of civil unrest, where officers have been attacked and arms looted. However, significant efforts have been made to recover such weapons.
