Drama as Senate Grills AIG Over 3,907 Missing Assault Rifles

The Nigerian Senate has questioned an Assistant Inspector General (AIG) over the disappearance of 3,907 assault rifles, sparking concerns over national security and police accountability.

A dramatic scene unfolded on Tuesday at the Senate Committee on Public Accounts when Assistant Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abdul, was questioned concerning 3,907 missing assault rifles. Many of these were AK-47s.

The Assistant Inspector General (AIG), standing in for the Inspector General of Police, listened intently as the representative from the Auditor General’s office presented the 2019 Audit Query. It revealed that “as of January 2020, a total of 3,907 assault rifles were either missing or unaccounted for by the Police.”

This occurred when the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who had appeared earlier, apologized to the Senate Committee on Public Accounts for not honoring previous invitations.

After apologizing to the Committee and taking an oath, Egbetokun nominated Assistant Inspector General of Police in Charge of Public Accounts and Budget, AIG Suleiman Abdul, to respond on behalf of the police department to the eight queries issued by the Auditor-General’s office.

The committee, led by Deputy Chairman Senator Peter Nwaebonyi from Ebonyi North, dismissed the first query concerning a contract splitting issue worth N1.136 billion and postponed the second query about an alleged non-execution of a N925 million contract. However, they upheld the third query regarding allegations of 3,907 missing assault rifles, many of which were AK-47s.

He stated that as of December 2018, the total number of lost firearms was 178,459, with 88,078 being AK-47 rifles.

As of January 2020, a comprehensive audit revealed that 3,907 assault rifles and pistols were unaccounted for across various police formations.

He detailed the missing firearms as follows: 601 from 15 training institutions, 42 from 23 police formations, 1,514 from 37 police commands, 29 across Zones

Annoyed by the report, committee members inundated the police team with questions about why such queries had not been addressed since they were issued.

In their responses, neither AIG Suleiman Abdul nor any of his lieutenants were able to provide the committee with convincing explanations for the disappearance of 3,907 assault rifles.

Feeling overwhelmed by the onslaught of questions directed at him, AIG Abdul requested a closed-door session. However, this request was denied by the majority of Committee members, including Senator Adams Oshiomhole and Senator Joel Onawakpo-Thomas, with Deputy Chairman presiding over the meeting.

In particular, while denying AIG Abdul’s request, Senator Nwaebonyi stated that he would not permit any closed-door sessions during his tenure.

This public accounts committee does not allow closed-door sessions. In the United States, the proceedings of the Public Accounts Committee are broadcast live on television.

He stated, “Any response the AIG has regarding the missing assault rifles should be made openly, especially in front of journalists.”

Senator Oshiomhole also dismissed the AIG’s request for a private meeting, stating: “The Police have been known to arrest and publicly display individuals accused of stealing small items like rats and rabbits. They should be equally diligent in addressing the issue of missing assault rifles.”

“The AIG should inform Nigerians about the actions taken by the Police over the years regarding the missing assault rifles, including identifying those involved and detailing any progress made in their recovery.”

In his weak response, the AIG could account for only 15 of the 3,907 missing assault rifles. According to him, 14 were lost when personnel were killed in active service and one was misplaced back in 1998—a justification that further angered members of the committee.

To ensure a smooth resolution, the committee decided that the AIG and his team should refine their response to the query, as it will not be overlooked.

As a result, it instructed them to appear before it next Monday at 12 noon and postponed the review of the remaining five queries.