The Force headquarters has issued a clarification on the allegations raised by the Senate on the alleged disappearance of 3,907 firearms from its armoury.
On Tuesday, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun appeared before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts to respond to audit queries flagged in the 2019 Auditor-General Report.
The report said the auditors could not account for 3,907 arms, thereby prompting the Senate to demand explanations.
But in a statement issued by the Force spokesman, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi on Thursday, declared that the allegations were based on a 2019 audit report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.
He stressed that the report does not confirm the actual disappearance of firearms but rather reflects an administrative review process.
The police image make assured the public that the Force remain committed to accountability and transparency in handling arms and ammunition.
He urged the media and the public to verify facts before drawing conclusions that could create unnecessary panic.
“The report appears to stem from an assessment of the 2019 audit, which likely reflects records compiled before the tenure of the current Inspector-General of Police.
“The report states that 3,907 arms were ‘unaccounted for,’ not ‘missing,’ as speculated in the news,” Adejobi stated.
He maintained that such figures do not reflect the current status of their armouries, noting that weapons assigned to officers for operations may not always be present during audits.
“We also note that when auditors conduct visits to our armouries, they may not find all arms present at the time due to the issuance of weapons to personnel for operational purposes, some spanning months, depending on the nature of such operations.
“Consequently, this may lead to misconceptions regarding the accuracy of audit reports,” Adejobi explained.
He also highlighted that some arms were lost due to attacks on police formations, particularly during civil unrest, a point the police reiterated in their response.
“It is important to acknowledge the challenges faced by the police during periods of civil unrest, where several officers were killed and their arms carted away.
“However, every effort has been made to recover these arms, and many have already been accounted for,” the police statement read.