The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) came under fire in the Senate on Tuesday over 3,907 missing Assault Riffles as contained in the 2019 Audit Report by the Office of Auditor General of the Federation (AuGF).
This is as the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, apologised to the Senate Committee on Public Accounts (SPAC) for not honouring previous invitations sent to him for explanations on queries issued against the Police on alleged financial infractions in the 2019 Audit reports.
Egbetokun had after his apology to the Committee and oath-taking, nominated Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Public Accounts and Budget, AIG Suleiman Abdul, to answer to the eight queries issued against the Police by the office of Auditor-General of the Federation.
While the Committee chaired by its Deputy Chairman, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North), vacated the first query, which bordered on N1.136billion contract splitting and stood down the second query, which bordered on alleged non-execution of N925million contract, it sustained the third query, which bordered on allegedly missing 3, 07 Assault Riffles , many of which were Ak 47.
Trouble came the way of the Police when representative of the Auditor General in the query , read to the hearing of Committee members and AIG Suleiman Abdul that as at January 2020 as contained in the 2019 Audit Report, a total of 3, 907 Assault Riffles were unaccounted for , by the Police .
According to him, ” the total number of lost firearms as at December 2018 stood at 178, 459 out of which 88, 078 AK – 47 Riffles.
“However as at January, 2020 based on thorough Auditing carried out , 3, 907 assault rifles and Pistols across different Police formations could not be accounted for”
He broke down the missing firearms as 601 from 15 Training Institutions , 42 from 23 Police formations , 1,514 from 37 Police Command , 29 from Zone 1 to 12, 1, 721 from Police Mobile Force ( PMF) 1 to 68 .
Irked by the report , members of the Committee bombarded the Police team with questions on why such queries have not been responded to, since issued .
In their responses , neither AIG Suleiman Abdul nor any of his lieutenants, could give the committee convincing reasons for the missing 3, 907 assault rifles .
Apparently overwhelmed by barrage of questions fired at him, AIG Abdul sought for closed door session which was however rejected by majority of the Committee members from the Deputy Chairman who presided over the session to Senator Adams Oshiomhole and Senator Joel Onawakpo – Thomas.
Specifically in rejecting AIG Abdul’s request , Senator Nwaebonyi said no closed door session would be allowed under him .
“This is a public accounts committee that has no room for closed door session . In united states of America , proceeedings of Public Accounts Committee are televised live . So whatever response the AIG wants to make on the missing assault rifles , should be done in the full glare of all , particularly the journalists “, he said .
Also rejecting the AIG request for closed door session , Senator Oshiomhole in his remarks said “The Police is known for arresting and parading thieves of Rats and Rabbits , which is expected of them on the missing assault rifles .
” The AIG should let Nigerians know steps that had been taken by the Police on the missing assault rifles over the years, who and who were involved and level of recovery made “.
In his feeble response , the AIG was only able to account for 15 out of the 3,907 missing assault riffles, 14 of which, according to him, were lost through 14 personnel that were killed in active service and one in 1998, which further infuriated members of the Senate Committee.
For soft landing, the committee later resolved that the AIG and his team should go and tidy up their response to the query as it will never be swept under the carpet.
It consequently directed them to appear before SPAC on Monday next week by 12noon and suspended consideration of the remaining five pending queries.