Police and army lost 282 rifles to terrorists and bandits in five years – Report

… Police account for more than 70% of stolen guns

…Delta and Abia are the major states with the highest losses

…Gun thefts increased in 2026, report warns

Daud Olatunji

A new security report has revealed that Nigerian security agencies lost no fewer than 282 rifles to terrorists, bandits and other armed groups in 94 separate attacks between 2021 and the first half of 2026, with the Nigerian Police Force accounting for more than 70% of the stolen weapons..

The report, published by security intelligence firm SBM Intelligence and titled Nigeria’s Stolen Rifles: Who Loses, Who Takes, revealed that police lost 201 rifles, representing 71.3% of the total number of firearms stolen during the period.

According to the report, the military lost 45 rifles (16%), while 15 rifles were seized from unspecified security agencies. Other agencies, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps and the Nigeria Customs Service, lost 12 rifles, while vigilantes lost nine.

The report identified unknown gunmen as the main perpetrators of the theft of 168 rifles, or 59.6% of the total.

Bandits reportedly seized 58 rifles (20.6%), while Islamic State West Africa Province seized 41 rifles (14.5%).

It also linked the indigenous Biafrans to the theft of nine rifles, while the kidnappers and Boko Haram were accused of stealing four and two rifles respectively.

The report showed that 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.

It was observed that Delta and Abia alone account for 42% of all rifle thefts recorded nationwide.

SBM Intelligence also noted that the rate of attacks resulting in the theft of service rifles increased significantly in 2026, raising concerns about the vulnerability of security personnel and armories.

Despite the losses, the report said security agencies recovered 1,442 rifles in the same period, suggesting that stolen service weapons represent only a fraction of the wider illicit circulation of weapons in the country.

It states: “Between 2021 and mid-2026, armed groups stole 282 rifles from Nigerian security forces in 94 incidents. Police lost 71% of these. Delta and Abia accounted for 42% of the thefts, with the pace accelerating in 2026.

“However, the recoveries (1,442) dwarf the thefts; this is a sign that the problem of illegal weapons in Nigeria goes far beyond stolen service rifles.”

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