According to a statement by the force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, some of the arms were carted away by hoodlums during civil unrest.

Adejobi said the Force had to clarify that the report appears to stem from an assessment of the report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, AuGF, dating back to 2019, likely reflecting records compiled before the current Inspector-General of Police’s tenure.

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He stated that it is important to acknowledge the challenges faced by the police during periods of civil unrest, during which several Police Officers were killed and their arms carted away, and some attacks and looting of police facilities and armories, resulting in the loss of arms.

Adejobi further said that every effort has been made to account for the arms taken, while many have been recovered back to the arms holding of the force at the moment.

He also noted that when auditors conduct visits to their armories, they may not find all arms present at the time due to the issuance of weapons to personnel for operational purposes, many spanning months depending on the nature of such operations, which consequently may lead to misconceptions regarding the accuracy of audit reports.