Senate Grills AIG Over 3,907 Missing Assault Rifles

Tuesday the drama at the Senate Committee on Public Accounts over the grilling of Assistant Inspector General of Police AIG Suleiman Abdul on the missing and unaccounted assault rifles, probably many AK-47 might have started halfway through the day.

The AIG, representing the Inspector General of Police, listened with utmost attention as the representative of the Auditor General for the Federation read the 2019 Audit Query, which contained the damning words: “By January 2020, a total of 3,907 assault rifles were either missing or could not be accounted for by the Police.”

Earlier before him was the Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, who had apologised to the Senate Committee on Public Accounts for not attending previous invitations.

Egbetokun had after his apology to the Committee and oath taken nominated Assistant Inspector General of Police in Charge of Public Accounts and Budget, AIG Suleiman Abdul, to answer to eight queries issued against the Police by the office of Auditor-General.

While the Committee Chaired by its Deputy Chairman Senator Peter Nwaebonyi representing Ebonyi North vacated Query 1 which bothers on N1.136 billion contract splitting and stood down Query 2 which bothers on alleged non-execution of N925 million contract, the Committee sustained Query 3 which bothers on the allegedly missing 3,907 Assault Rifles, many of which were AK-47s.

According to him, “as at December 2018, the total number of lost firearms stood at 178,459 out of which 88,078 are AK-47 rifles.”

“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 delineated the firearms traced to be missing as; 601 lost from 15 Training Institutions, 42 from 23 police formations, 1,514 from 37 police Commands, 29 from Zone 1 to 12 and 1,721 from Police Mobile Force (PMF) 1 to 68.

Miffed over the report, the members began giving it to the police team with questions on why such queries had not been responded to.

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 a closed door session which was, however, rejected by a majority of the Committee members where the Deputy Chairman presided over the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, and Senator Joel Onawakpo-Thomas.

Specifically in rejecting AIG Abdul’s request, Senator Nwaebonyi added that no closed-door session would be held 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 Committees 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.

Rejecting the AIG request for closed door session, Senator Oshiomhole said: “The police is known for arresting and parading thieves of rats and rabbits which is expected of them for the missing assault rifles.

“The AIG, however, should let Nigerians know steps that has been taken by the police on the missing assault rifles over the years, who and who were involved, and what level of recovery made.”

In his weak response, the AIG could account for 15 out of the 3,907 missing assault rifles- 14, according to him, were lost as a result of the death of such personnel in active service and a loss in 1998, much to the anger of the committee members.

In soft landing, it was resolved later that the AIG and his team must go and tidy their response to the query, which will not be left under the carpet.

It consequently directed them to appear before it on Monday next week by 12 noon and suspended consideration of the remaining five queries.

Naijaeyes Report