Police

Author: Gist Correspondent

A new security report has revealed that the Nigeria Police Force suffered the highest loss of firearms to terrorists, bandits and other armed groups, with 201 rifles stolen between 2021 and mid-2026.

The findings, contained in the SBM Intelligence Violence Tracker report titled \"Nigeria\'s Stolen Rifles: Who Loses, Who Takes\", showed that a total of 282 rifles were taken from security personnel in 94 separate attacks across the country during the period under review. The police accounted for 201 of the stolen rifles, representing 71.3 per cent of the total.

According to the report, the Nigerian military lost 45 rifles, or 16 per cent, while unspecified security agencies lost 15 rifles, representing 5.3 per cent. Other agencies, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigeria Customs Service, recorded a combined loss of 12 rifles, while vigilante groups lost nine.

The report identified unknown gunmen as the leading perpetrators, responsible for stealing 168 rifles, representing 59.6 per cent of all recorded cases. Bandits accounted for 58 stolen rifles, while the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) was linked to 41 rifles. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) reportedly stole nine rifles, kidnappers took four, and Boko Haram was responsible for two.

Geographically, Delta State recorded the highest number of stolen rifles with 67, followed by Abia with 51, Borno with 40, Zamfara with 20 and Katsina with 11. Together, Delta and Abia accounted for 42 per cent of all rifles stolen from security agencies nationwide.

Despite the losses, SBM Intelligence noted that security forces recovered 1,442 rifles within the same period, a figure significantly higher than the number stolen. The report said this indicates that Nigeria\'s illicit arms market is fuelled by sources beyond weapons taken from security personnel, warning that the country\'s illegal firearms challenge remains widespread even as the pace of rifle theft accelerated in 2026.