The Nigeria Police Force lost 201 rifles to terrorists, bandits and other armed groups between 2021 and mid-2026, a new report by SBM Intel Violence Tracker has revealed.

The report, titled "Nigeria’s Stolen Rifles: Who Loses, Who Takes", stated that 282 rifles were stolen from security agents in 94 separate incidents across the country.

According to the report, the Police Force accounted for 201 stolen rifles, representing 71.3 per cent of the total.

The military lost 45 rifles, representing 16 per cent, while unspecified security agencies lost 15 rifles or 5.3 per cent.

Other security agencies, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Customs Service, lost 12 rifles, while vigilantes lost nine.

The report identified “unknown gunmen” as the biggest perpetrators, accounting for 168 stolen rifles or 59.6 per cent of the total.

andits were responsible for 58 rifles, representing 20.6 per cent, while the Islamic State West Africa Province accounted for 41 rifles or 14.5 per cent.

The Indigenous People of Biafra was linked to the theft of nine rifles, kidnappers stole four, while Boko Haram accounted for two.

Geographically, Delta recorded the highest number of stolen rifles with 67, followed by Abia with 51, Borno with 40, Zamfara with 20 and Katsina with 11.

According to the report, Delta and Abia alone accounted for 42 per cent of all stolen rifles.

The report also noted that the pace of theft accelerated in 2026.

Despite the thefts, SBM Intel said security agencies recovered 1,442 rifles during the same period, suggesting that Nigeria’s proliferation of illegal weapons extends far beyond firearms stolen from security personnel.

“Between 2021 and mid-2026, armed groups stole 282 rifles from Nigerian security forces across 94 incidents. Police lost 71% of these. Delta and Abia accounted for 42% of thefts, with the pace accelerating in 2026. Yet the recoveries (1,442) dwarf thefts; this is a sign that Nigeria’s illegal weapons problem goes far beyond stolen service rifles,” the report stated. (Saturday PUNCH)

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