By Ade Iyamoye
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), has expressed deep concern over the increasing loss of firearms among its officers, attributing the trend to negligence, poor weapon-handling skills, and improper deployment by senior personnel.
The issue gained prominence after the Senate Public Accounts Committee in February questioned Inspector General Kayode Egbetokun about 178,459 missing firearms, a claim the police dismissed as misleading.
The Force insists that annual firearm audits are conducted and that no significant number of weapons are unaccounted for.
However, a recent internal police directive obtained by The PUNCH has warned commanders in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Warri, Aba, and Damaturu that further firearm losses will not be tolerated.
The message ordered an immediate crackdown on negligence, mandating aggressive firearm training and monthly arms audits.
Senior officers will now be held accountable for any missing weapons under their watch.
The directive underscores the growing threat to police personnel, who are frequently targeted by criminals.
It calls for urgent reforms to ensure officers are better equipped and trained to handle firearms responsibly.
