Security forces, including police and army, had 282 guns stolen by armed attackers, says investigation.

A recent report by SBM Intel Violence Tracker has disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force suffered a significant loss of 201 rifles to terrorists, bandits, and other armed groups between 2021 and mid-2026.

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The report, titled Nigeria’s Stolen Rifles: Who Loses, Who Takes, further revealed that a total of 282 rifles were stolen from security agents in 94 separate incidents across the country during this period.

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The Nigeria Police Force accounted for the majority of the stolen rifles, with 201 rifles taken, representing 71.3 per cent of the total number of stolen firearms.

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In contrast, the military lost 45 rifles, which accounted for 16 per cent of the total, while unspecified security agencies lost 15 rifles, representing 5.3 per cent of the stolen firearms.

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Other security agencies, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Customs Service, lost a combined total of 12 rifles, and vigilantes lost nine rifles to these armed groups.

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The report identified "unknown gunmen" as the primary perpetrators, responsible for the theft of 168 rifles, which accounted for 59.6 per cent of the total number of stolen firearms.

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Bandits were the second-most prominent group, responsible for the theft of 58 rifles, representing 20.6 per cent of the total, while the Islamic State West Africa Province was linked to the theft of 41 rifles, or 14.5 per cent.

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The Indigenous People of Biafra was connected to the theft of nine rifles, kidnappers stole four rifles, and Boko Haram was responsible for the theft of two rifles.

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In terms of geographic distribution, Delta recorded the highest number of stolen rifles, with 67 incidents, followed by Abia with 51, Borno with 40, Zamfara with 20, and Katsina with 11.

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Notably, Delta and Abia alone accounted for 42 per cent of all stolen rifles, highlighting the severity of the issue in these regions.

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The report also observed that the pace of rifle theft accelerated in 2026, indicating a worsening trend.

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Despite the significant number of stolen rifles, the report noted that security agencies recovered a substantial 1,442 rifles during the same period, suggesting that the proliferation of illegal weapons in Nigeria extends far beyond those stolen from security personnel.

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The report summarized the situation, stating that between 2021 and mid-2026, armed groups stole 282 rifles from Nigerian security forces across 94 incidents, with the police losing 71 per cent of these, and Delta and Abia accounting for 42 per cent of the thefts, while the pace of theft accelerated in 2026.