Nigerian police officer attached to the MOPOL 39 Osogbo Base in Osun State has reportedly lost his service pistol at a beer parlour near the base, sparking concerns over the handling of firearms within the Nigeria Police Force.
SaharaReporters gathered that the incident which was confirmed by a top police officer at the base had thrown the police unit in apprehension, as search continues for the missing firearm.
According to the source, the disappearance of the pistol at the base in Osogbo is just one of several incidents, indicating the lack of accountability within the police force.
“There’s an incident of a missing pistol from MOPOL 39 Osogbo Base. This is coming at a time when the IGP is being quizzed on missing firearms,” the source told SaharaReporters.
The source revealed that the police officer identified only as Inspector Monday had booked the pistol from the base’s armoury late last year.
However, there is no record of its return, raising suspicions about what happened to the weapon.
“He claimed to have returned it to one of the armourers, Inspector Osas, but there is no record of its return in the arms registry. Till this moment, they’re yet to trace the whereabouts of the pistol, as all efforts made in tracing it have proved abortive,” the source added.
The police source revealed further that the pistol was lost at a beer parlour adjacent to their base, where some policemen regularly retire for alcohol even during official working hours.
“They lost the rifle in a beer parlour beside their base. That’s where they drink even during working hours,” the source disclosed.
While the police hierarchy continues to downplay concerns over missing arms, the latest revelations suggest that lapses in accountability and discipline remain a critical issue within the force.
Yemisi Opalola, the Osun police command spokesperson has yet to respond to messages seeking her reaction to the findings. Her phone number was unreachable at the time of filing this report.
There has been a recent, wider controversy surrounding missing police weapons under the watch of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun.
A leaked internal police memo obtained by SaharaReporters earlier detailed how police personnel misplaced or lost firearms in various incidents, including a deadly ambush by bandits in Zamfara State.
The police wireless message dated September 12, 2024, had also revealed how bandits attacked a security convoy on the Tazame-Yandoto Highway in Kotorkoshi District, Bungudu Local Government Area. The attack resulted in the deaths of five police officers and three soldiers, with four service rifles, including AK-47s, seized by the assailants.
Source : Sahara Reporters
