The Senate Public Accounts Committee has raised concerns over financial mismanagement and security lapses in the Nigeria Police Force, including contract irregularities worth ₦1.136 billion and the disappearance of over 3,900 firearms, including AK-47 rifles.
During a review of the Auditor-General’s report, lawmakers expressed fears that the missing weapons could be in the hands of criminal groups. The Assistant Inspector General of Police (Budget), Abdul Suleiman, assured the committee that the police had responded to the audit queries.
However, disagreement erupted among senators over how to proceed with the matter. Senator Ningi called for an executive session to handle the issue privately but later walked out when the majority opposed the move. Committee members, led by the chairman, insisted that the AIG provide a public explanation regarding the missing firearms.
In his response, Suleiman urged the lawmakers to exercise discretion, stating, “The police will not allow these weapons to go missing at any cost, but this is a security matter best discussed privately.”
Despite his plea, several senators, including Victor Umeh and Joel Onawakpo-Thomas, insisted on transparency. Umeh criticized the police’s inability to recover the missing arms, warning that it posed a serious security threat.
“With rising insecurity, the police should have tracked these arms. If over 3,900 rifles are missing, our national security is at risk. Simply calling it a ‘security issue’ without providing answers is unacceptable,” Umeh said.
Following a voice vote, the committee ruled in favor of a public hearing. The police later claimed that some of the missing weapons were taken from officers who had been killed, insisting that no arms were unaccounted for.
Unsatisfied with the explanation, the committee issued a fresh summons for the Inspector-General of Police to appear before them on Monday for further clarification.
The police explained that some of the weapons were derived from officers killed while their weapons were carted away. He says no arms were unaccounted for.
The Committee on Public Accounts declared dissatisfaction with the explanations, again summoning the IGP to again before the committee on Monday.
