Reps pass 2022 budget of N17.126trn
The House of Representatives has mandated its Ad hoc Committee on Arms to investigate alleged 178,459 arms reported to be missing by the Auditor-General of the Federation, Adolphus Aghughu.
According to the 2019 audit report, the arms which include AK-47 rifles and other assorted rifles and pistols from different formations nationwide could not be accounted for by the Nigeria Police.
The House resolved to probe the missing arms following a motion moved by the Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu), on Thursday, during plenary.
Leading the debate, Okechukwu lamented the poor record-keeping of the police on arms and ammunition.
He said the missing arms could be connected with the spike in insecurity across the country.
Quoting from the audit report, Okechukwu said “the value of the lost firearms could not be ascertained because no document relating to their cost of acquisition was presented for examination.
“The police high command failed to keep record of unserviceable and expired firearms and ammunition— owing to non-compliance to the internal control system of the Nigeria Police Force.”
To highlight the poor record-keeping, Mr Okechukwu referred to the Police Mobile Force (PMF) Squadron, Abuja, where records of police and audit reports contradict themselves.
“Records obtained from force armament at Force Headquarters showed 21 Police Mobile Force (PMF) Squadron, Abuja, did not report a single case of missing firearm, whereas schedule of missing arms obtained from the same PMF showed a total of 46 missing arms between the year 2000 and February 2019,” he said.
Speaking in support of the motion, the Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), said the investigation will reveal a lot.
He, however, argued that there is no need to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the matter, rather an existing committee investigating arms should be charged with the probe.
Consequently, the committee investigating arms procurement chaired by Abubakar Fulata (APC, Jigawa), was charged with the investigation.
In addition, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Akali, was mandated to take urgent actions to apprehend those culpable for the depletion of the armoury of the force.
