The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Tuesday, apologized to the Senate Public Accounts Committee for failing to honor previous invitations regarding queries raised by the Auditor General of the Federation on the Nigeria Police Force’s financial and operational records.
Egbetokun, who spoke under oath, attributed his absence to the demands of his office and assured lawmakers that it would not happen again. His apology was accepted by Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), who represented Committee Chairman Senator Ahmed Wadada. Ningi noted that Egbetokun’s appearance reaffirmed that no one is above the law.
To ensure future accountability, Egbetokun introduced Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Abdul Sulaiman, in charge of Police Accounts, as his representative for committee hearings.
However, the session took a serious turn when the committee questioned AIG Sulaiman over the alleged disappearance of 178,459 firearms, including 88,078 AK-47 rifles, from police formations nationwide, as revealed in the 2019 audit report by the Auditor General of the Federation, Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira. The report further noted that as of January 2020, over 3,907 firearms remained unaccounted for, based on arms movement registers and official records.
Acting Committee Chairman, Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North), linked the missing weapons to the nation’s rising insecurity. He emphasized the urgency of accountability, stating, “These firearms were procured with taxpayers’ money, and Nigerians deserve to know what happened to them.”
In response, AIG Sulaiman explained that some weapons were lost in robbery incidents, while others were taken when officers were killed in the line of duty. However, the committee found that only 15 officers were documented as having lost their weapons due to death or injury, raising further concerns.
Under pressure, Sulaiman requested additional time to compile a full report, insisting, “To me, no firearm is unaccounted for. We appeal to the committee for more time.”
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) dismissed the police’s response as inadequate, demanding clear accountability and disciplinary action. He criticized the force for failing to hold officers responsible, stating, “The police parade suspects daily; why should it be different when officers are at fault? There should not be two sets of laws in Nigeria.”
The committee ordered the IGP to reappear before it on Monday, January 17, to provide a comprehensive report on the missing weapons and other audit queries, including a case of N1.1 billion contract splitting.
