Senate grills IGP, AIG over ‘missing’ 3, 907 rifles
The Senate on Tuesday grilled the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Public Accounts and Budget, AIG Suleiman Abdul, over missing 3,907 assault riffles. This was sequel to the presentation of the 2019 Audit Report by the Office of the Auditor General of the […]
The Senate on Tuesday grilled the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Public Accounts and Budget, AIG Suleiman Abdul, over missing 3,907 assault riffles.
This was sequel to the presentation of the 2019 Audit Report by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (AuGF) when the top police officers appeared before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
The IGP first apologised to the senators for not honouring previous invitations sent to him for explanations on queries issued the Police on alleged financial infractions in the 2019 audit report.
Egbetokun had after his apology to the senators, nominated AIG Suleiman Abdul, to answer to the eight queries issued the Police by the office of the Auditor – General.
The session presided over by the committee’s deputy chairman, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North), vacated query one, which bothered on N1.136billion contract splitting.
The committee equally stood down query two, which bothered on alleged non – execution of N925million contract, and sustained query three, which bothered on alleged missing of 3, 907 assault riffles, many of which the report said were Ak 47.
Trouble started when representative of the Auditor-General said in January 2020, as contained in the 2019 Audit Report, a total of 3, 907 assault riffles were unaccounted for by the Police.
He said, “The total number of lost firearms as at December 2018 stood at 178, 459 out of which 88, 078 were 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”
In their responses, neither the AIG Suleiman Abdul nor any of his lieutenants, could give the committee convincing reasons for the missing 3, 907 assault rifles. The AIG, however, sought for a closed-door session with the senators which was rejected.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, a member of the committee said, “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.”
The AIG, however, accounted for 15. He said 14 were lost to the personnel killed in active service and one in 1998. The committee later resolved that the police team should go and tidy up their response to the query and vowed never to sweep the issue under the carpet. They are to reappear on Monday next week.