News
Senate Panel Grills IG Over 178,459 Missing Firearms
Published
7 months agoon
By
Editor
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Tuesday, apologised to the Senate Public Accounts Committee for failing to honour previous invitations to respond to queries raised by the Auditor General of the Federation regarding the Nigeria Police Force.
Last week, the Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Wadada, had threatened to issue a warrant of arrest against Egbetokun if he continued to ignore the committee’s summons.
Speaking under oath before the committee, Egbetokun explained that his absence was due to the demands of his office and assured lawmakers that it would not happen again.
Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), who represented Wadada, accepted the apology, stating that Egbetokun’s appearance reaffirmed that no one is above the law.
At the committee’s request, Egbetokun introduced the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Police Accounts, Abdul Sulaiman, who will represent him in future committee hearings.
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Meanwhile, the committee questioned Egbetokun—represented by AIG Abdul Sulaiman, who oversees accounts and budgets—over the alleged disappearance of 178,459 firearms.
According to the Auditor General of the Federation, Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira, in his 2019 audit report before the Senate Committee, 178,459 firearms, mostly AK-47 rifles, were missing from Nigeria Police Force commands and formations across the country.
Of this number, 88,078 were AK-47 rifles, Chira said, as represented by Samuel Godwin.
The report added that as of January 2020, over 3,907 firearms were unaccounted for, based on the arms movement register and firearm records reviewed by the Auditor General’s office.
The committee reviewed multiple audit queries against the police, including a case of contract splitting involving N1.1bn.
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Acting Committee Chairman, Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North), expressed alarm over the missing weapons, linking them to worsening insecurity across the country.
He said, “This is part of the insecurity we are facing in Nigeria today. If these firearms are in the hands of criminals, it means neither we nor the police are safe. These weapons were procured with taxpayers’ money, and Nigerians deserve to know what happened to them.”
AIG Sulaiman, assisted by senior police officers, explained that some arms were lost in robbery incidents, while others were taken when officers were killed in the line of duty.
However, after reviewing the police’s records, the committee found that only 15 officers were documented as having lost their arms due to death or injury, out of 3,907 unaccounted firearms.
Under intense questioning, AIG Sulaiman requested more time to submit a comprehensive report on the investigations and status of the missing weapons.
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“To me, no firearm is unaccounted for. We appeal to the committee for more time. We will submit a full report,” Sulaiman said.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) criticised the police’s response, saying the lawmakers expected clear accountability, including disciplinary action against officers responsible for missing firearms.
He said, “The least we expect is for you to tell us that these arms were indeed lost, and those responsible have been identified and sanctioned.
The police parade suspects daily; why should it be different when officers are at fault? There should not be two sets of laws in Nigeria.”
He added that the police must recover the arms or ensure those responsible face prosecution.
The committee ordered the IGP to reappear before it on Monday, January 17 2025.
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News
Sanwo-Olu makes U-turn, Unblocks Lawyer Who Sued Him Over Blocking On X
Published
13 hours agoon
September 13, 2025By
Editor
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has unblocked human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, on X after a meeting with him at Lagos House, Marina, on Friday.
The lawyer, who had accused the governor of rights violations, announced the development in a post on his X account on Saturday.
According to him, Sanwo-Olu personally invited him for a brief meeting to address his complaints.
“Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has unblocked me on X (Twitter). I met briefly with him yesterday at Lagos House Marina, on his invitation, to amicably resolve my complaint of human rights violations. We will continue to hold authorities accountable, regardless. Aluta continua!” Ogun wrote.
READ ALSO:Lawyer Sues Sanwo-Olu For Blocking Him On X
Tribune Online reports that Ogun had earlier filed a suit against Sanwo-Olu at a Federal High Court in Lagos, accusing him of violating his fundamental rights by blocking him on his verified X account.
In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1739/25, which he shared on Facebook, the lawyer claimed the governor blocked him over his 2021 “constructive criticisms” and “demand for accountability” on the October 2020 #EndSARS killings.
“In 2021, I noticed that the Governor blocked me on his official X handle @jidesanwoolu owing to my constructive criticisms of his policies and demand for accountability in respect of the October 2020 #EndSARS Massacre.”
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Ogun said the action has prevented him from accessing vital government updates and information.
“Blocking me on X has prevented me from accessing public updates and receiving information about policies and governance in Lagos, which constitutes a violation of my right to receive information without interference,” he said.
In his originating summons, he asked the court to declare the move unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory.
News
Tragedy Deepens As Prime Suspect in Taraba Student’s Death Found Dead
Published
14 hours agoon
September 13, 2025By
Editor
The investigation into the death of Comfort Jimtop, a 100-level Mass Communication student at Taraba State University, has taken a dramatic turn following the discovery of the lifeless body of Emmanuel Kefas, the prime suspect in the case.
Kefas’s body was discovered on Friday in the Tudiri community, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, under unclear circumstances, intensifying public concern and adding a tragic dimension to a case that has already gripped the university community and residents across Taraba State.
Confirming the development on Saturday, the spokesperson for the Taraba State Police Command, James Lashen, said the police received a report from the village head of Tudiri about the discovery.
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“A lifeless body was found in Tudiri, and a Tecno Android phone was recovered beside it,” Lashen stated.
“Upon charging the phone, investigators found a photograph showing the deceased with the late Comfort Jimtop, suggesting they were in a romantic relationship.”
Lashen added that the body has been taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Jalingo for autopsy. At the same time, efforts are ongoing to officially identify the remains through the suspect’s family.
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Police have yet to determine whether Kefas’s death was the result of suicide, homicide, or an accident. Investigations into both deaths are continuing.
Comfort Jimtop’s mysterious death had earlier sparked outrage on campus and across the state, with students and rights groups demanding justice. Kefas was named a prime suspect in the case, which remains open.
This latest development has left many unanswered questions and deepened the grief surrounding the case.
Students, residents, and civil society groups are closely monitoring the situation, calling on authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and bring clarity to the tragic chain of events.
News
Ossiomo, Chinese Impasse: This Is Our Story — Management
Published
16 hours agoon
September 13, 2025By
Editor
The management of Ossiomo Power Plant has cleared the air on the dispute between its Chinese partners and the circumstances surrounding the shutting down of the power plant early this month.
Representative of Ossiomo management, Engineer Festus Evbuomwan, during an interactive session with customers on the impasse between the two partners, said contrary to the rumour making the rounds, the management of Ossiomo Power Plant had paid over ₦2bn to its Chinese partner — Jiangsu Communication Clean Energy Technology (CCETC) — since the power plant started operation.
Recall that representative of CCETC who identified himself as Mr. ‘W’ had, during a telephone phone interview two weeks ago, claimed that “instruction to shutdown was because we lost lots of money and did not get any return on investment,” adding that “all the $20m investment was done by us including the distribution lines.”
But Evbuomwan during the interactive session, said the management was not aware of the $20m investment the Chinese partner claimed, just as he disclosed that “when they generate power, we sell and pay them.”
READ ALSO:Edo Govt Denies Shares As Ownership Tussle Rocks Ossiomo Power
He disclosed that after shutting down the power plant, the Chinese partners came up with a request of ₦185m to be paid to two Chinese not known to the management, stressing that this was declined.
According to him, the Chinese partner, having seen how lucrative the business is, “went to some quarters and raised some issues probably thinking they can manoeuvre us with the help of some big persons, so that they can use their machines to generate power and sideline us but this is not possible.”
“The Chinese partners also claimed that they borrowed $20m from their native land to invest, we are not aware of such investment, and we do not know where the money was invested up till now.
“They have been also saying they have not been receiving anything, but I want to tell you unequivocally that first, the partners run a joint account where their investment is going into. More so, The Chinese partners have received over ₦2bn so far for the power they generate with their machines. When they generate the power, we sell and pay them.”
READ ALSO: Five Years After, Edo Govt Reconnects To BEDC As Ossiomo Shut Down
Engr. Evbuomwan, while apologising to customers for the power outage caused by the dispute between the two partners, said Ossiomo had started power generation though not in full capacity, assuring that power generation would be fully restored soon.
“We have purchased turbines, and one have started working. They are working on the second one, so, by the time our five turbines start working we will be in full capacity. Even with that, those connected to the government may not be reached immediately. This is because the government bought the poles and contracted the wiring, and we cannot force the government to do our bid. Also, we are making efforts to site 33kva transformer along Airport Road and Lagos Road as soon as possible, so that our customers there will get power.”
He said the Edo State government does not have a stake in the company, just as he appealed to the “government to let us supply power to customers in through their Lines. I want to emphasise that Ossiomo is not completely shut down.”
He further urged the “government to encourage the Nigerian citizens to invest and not to work against local investors.”
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