The Senate on Tuesday grilled the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Public Accounts and Budget, AIG Suleiman Abdul, over the disappearance of 3,907 assault rifles, including a significant number of AK-47s, from police formations across the country.
The interrogation took place at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja during a session of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, which was examining the 2019 Audit Report presented by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF). The missing firearms were among the issues flagged in the report, which raised concerns about accountability within the Nigeria Police Force.
IGP Egbetokun, appearing before the committee, began by apologizing for his previous failure to honor invitations to explain the police’s response to financial and operational queries raised in the audit report. Following his apology, he delegated AIG Suleiman Abdul to respond to the eight audit queries issued to the police.
During the session, which was presided over by the committee’s deputy chairman, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North), some queries were dismissed, while others were sustained for further scrutiny. The committee vacated the query concerning N1.136 billion in alleged contract splitting and put aside another regarding the alleged non-execution of a N925 million contract. However, it upheld the serious allegation regarding the missing firearms, which auditors noted were not accounted for in police records.
A representative from the Auditor-General’s office presented findings from the 2019 audit, stating that as of December 2018, a total of 178,459 firearms were reported lost, including 88,078 AK-47 rifles. By January 2020, auditors determined that an additional 3,907 rifles and pistols were unaccounted for in various police formations across the country.
Despite being pressed for explanations, neither AIG Suleiman Abdul nor any of the officers present could provide a satisfactory response regarding the whereabouts of the missing firearms. In an attempt to avoid public discussion, the AIG requested a closed-door session with the senators, a request that was immediately denied.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, a member of the committee, insisted that the police must come clean on the matter, stating, “The AIG should let Nigerians know the steps that have been taken by the police over the years regarding the missing assault rifles, who was responsible, and what level of recovery has been made.”
In response, AIG Abdul managed to account for only 15 of the missing firearms, explaining that 14 were lost due to personnel killed in active service, while one had been missing since 1998. Dissatisfied with the explanation, the committee directed the police team to provide a more comprehensive response and vowed not to let the matter be swept under the carpet.
The police officials were ordered to return before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Monday next week to present a more detailed report on the missing weapons, with lawmakers insisting that accountability and transparency must be upheld in the handling of security assets.
