Reps To Investigate Missing 178,000 Police Arms

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the alleged missing 178,459 different arms and ammunition of the Nigeria Police Force in 2019.

This followed the adoption of a motion on matters of urgent public importance by the deputy minority leader, Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu), at the plenary on Thursday.

An Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF)’s report had alleged that no fewer than 178,459 different arms and ammunition of the Nigeria Police Force have not been accounted for in 2019.

Presenting the motion, Okechukwu said the audit of Arms Movement Register, Monthly Returns of Arms and Ammunition and Ammunition Register at the Armoury Section revealed that a total number of lost firearms as of December 2018 stood at 178,459 pieces.

He said: “Out of this number, 88,078 were AK-47 rifles, 3,907 assorted rifles and pistols across different police formations, which could not be accounted for as of January 2020.

“The findings in the report that the police high command failed to keep a record of unserviceable and expired firearms and ammunition; owing to non-compliance to the internal control system of the Nigeria Police Force.

“Records of the total number of unserviceable firearms were not produced for examinations and there were no returns from Adamawa State Command, Police Mobile Force (PMF) 46, 56, 64 and 68 for the period under review”.

The House, therefore, called on the Inspector-General of Police to take urgent actions to apprehend those culpable for the depletion of the armoury of the Nigeria Police Force.

It mandated its committee on police affairs to investigate and report back to the House within four weeks.