Inspector loses assault rifle and ammunition after suspected thieves steal car at Kogi government headquarters

A police inspector attached to the security of the Kogi State Government House in Lokoja has lost an assault rifle and 30 live rounds after suspected thieves stole his vehicle and made off with the weapon in a brazen overnight incident.

The officer concerned, identified as Inspector Mohammed Abdullahi, is said to have parked his Toyota Camry with registration number ZKW 650AA (Kaduna State) at the Nigeria Union of Journalists secretariat headquarters in Lokoja on the evening of June 13, 2026.

Security sources said the inspector allegedly left a police rifle with breech number FA 4082, along with 30 rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition inside the vehicle before driving away.

He later reportedly returned to the scene, only to find that the vehicle had been stolen.

According to an internal police wireless message circulated to commands nationwide, the incident triggered an immediate security response, with divisions, patrol teams, the control room and the Lokoja Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) alerted and mobilized for a city-wide search.

The vehicle was later found abandoned in front of Federal University Lokoja, on the Felele axis of the state capital. However, the assault rifle and ammunition had already been removed by the suspects before the car was found.

Police authorities have since launched a nationwide manhunt for the missing weapon, ordering all commands, tactical teams and patrol units to intensify surveillance and intelligence operations aimed at recovering the weapon and arresting those responsible for the theft.

The wireless signal also urged officers across the country to remain alert and immediately report any sighting of the stolen rifle to the Kogi State Police Command.

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