During a plenary session held on Thursday, the House of Representatives voted in favor of a motion to initiate an investigation into the recurring issue of missing firearms and ammunition within the Nigerian Police armament from 2012 to 2022. The motion was introduced by Hon. Salman Idris of the ADC representing Kabba/Bunu Ijumu Federal Consituency of Kogi State.
Hon. Idris, referencing a newspaper publication, highlighted a concerning report indicating that in 2018 alone, approximately 178,459 firearms and ammunition were unaccounted for within the police armament. Furthermore, as of January 2020, there were 3,907 assorted rifles missing without any established trace or formal report.
The motion and prayer reads…
Notes that the primary responsibility of the Government is to safeguard lives and properties, as outlined
in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) through law enforcement agencies, with the police being the primary point of contact;
Also notes that the Nigeria Police Force is a crucial part of any country’s security architecture responsible for maintaining law and order and being the frontline in public security provision. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and the Police, Act 2020 explicitly provide the primary functions and duties of the Police Force;
Aware that On 1, January 2022 the Nigerian Punch Newspaper reported that the office of the Auditor General for the Federation (OAUGF) referenced AuGF/AR.2019/02 disclosed about 178,459 missing arms and ammunition from Nigeria Police Armament in December 2018, with unaccounted 3,907 assorted rifles as of January 2020 without any trace or formal report;
Disturbed that the Nigeria Police have lost sufficient firearms to arm four full-size infantry divisions which were not reported, thus, violating paragraph 2603 of the Financial Regulations, 2009, which requires officers to report store losses to the head of department or unit within three days if the loss occurs away from headquarters;
Also disturbed that the report has it that Nigeria host over 70% of the illicit arms in West Africa. A UK-based Conflict Armament Research carried out in January 2020 alleged that most of the weapons recovered from bandits in some States, with most recovered weapons belonging to Nigeria’s security forces
Worried that the Nigeria Police’s underperformance may be due to the constant loss of firearms and ammunition in the police Armament which requires urgent legislative intervention to ensure the safety of officers.
Concerned that, aside from the established reality of illegal importation of arms, it is horrifying to realise that the guns and bullets deployed by terrorists, armed robbers and thugs against Nigerians may have been stolen weapons from the armoury that were bought with taxpayers’ money;
Resolves to:
mandate the Committees on National Security and Intelligence, Police Affairs and Public Account to
investigate the persistent firearm loss, the failure of the Police Force to comply with the Financial
Regulations Act, and recommend appropriate punitive measures.
The motion which has been referred to the House Committee on Police Affairs, National Security, and Intelligence, as well as the Committee on Public Accounts for further investigation. was seconded by Hon. Adamu Tanko.
Hon. Usman Kumo proposed an amendment to call on the House Committee on National Security, as well as that on Public Accounts to conduct the investigation.
Hon. Famous Osawaru proposed an amendment to restrict the investigation to within 30 days in line with the extant Rules of the House.
Hon. Kingsley Chinda further proposed an amendment to delete the phrase “appropriate punitive measures” before the investigation as it seems to preempt the outcome of the investigation.