A renewed wave of public criticism has followed the resurfacing of an auditor general’s report detailing discrepancies in the arms inventory of the police, despite the audit covering records up to 2018 and predating the tenure of former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Key Highlights:
- An audit report flagged discrepancies involving 88,078 police rifles.
- Police said the report did not prove the weapons were missing.
- Lawmakers revisited the issue in 2025, bringing it back into focus.
- The audit period predated Kayode Egbetokun‘s tenure.
- The report triggered public debate over corruption, accountability, and security.
The report, first published in 2019, highlighted that 88,078 AK-47 rifles were listed as unaccounted for.
However, officials have previously attributed the discrepancies to poor record-keeping, operational losses, and weapons seized by criminals rather than recent thefts.
The issue returned to the spotlight after lawmakers revisited the findings.
During a February 2025 Senate session, police authorities maintained that the audit did not prove the weapons were missing, describing the report as inaccurate while acknowledging the need for improved tracking and inventory management.
Egbetokun resigned as Inspector-General of Police in February 2026, citing family reasons.
He was succeeded by IGP Olatunji Disu, who has since pledged reforms aimed at strengthening accountability and security operations.
The resurfaced audit has triggered intense reactions on X, with many Nigerians expressing frustration over corruption, insecurity, and the handling of public records.
X user @Ochoferdinard argued that the controversy goes beyond missing weapons, writing: “They’re looking for a scapegoat, a branch to cut off and not the roots. You’d be a fool to think that this is a mere loss of a few thousand arms. Wake up! It’s a whole industry.”
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Another user, @IzisinachiRex, linked the issue to the country’s security challenges, calling for stronger military action against terrorist groups.
“Terrorists ruin Nigeria and now they lack ammo? We need to launch precision airstrikes on Boko Haram and ISIS immediately,” the user wrote.
Others pushed back against attempts to connect the audit directly to Egbetokun. @HenryKk noted that the report covered an earlier period, stating: “As at December 2020 and you want to make it look like it’s under IGP Egbetokun.
“,You should be invited for questioning by @PoliceNG for trying to mislead and incite the public.”
Meanwhile, @chisomeholic criticized what the user described as a culture of impunity in governance, saying: “The atrocities that exist in Nigeria you’ll never find them anywhere else because corruption carries strict penalties elsewhere.
“The authorities just do whatever they like in Nigeria because there’s no repercussion.”
