… Police Account For Over 70% Of Stolen Weapons
… Delta, Abia Top States With Highest Losses
…Weapon Thefts Surged 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 Nigeria Police Force accounting for over 70 per cent of the stolen weapons.
The report, released by security intelligence firm SBM Intelligence and titled Nigeria’s Stolen Rifles: Who Loses, Who Takes, disclosed that the police lost 201 rifles, representing 71.3 per cent of the total number of stolen firearms during the period.
According to the report, the military lost 45 rifles (16 per cent), while 15 rifles were taken from unspecified security agencies. Other agencies, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Customs Service, lost 12 rifles, while vigilante operatives lost nine.
The report identified unknown gunmen as the leading perpetrators, responsible for stealing 168 rifles, representing 59.6 per cent of the total.
Bandits reportedly seized 58 rifles (20.6 per cent), while the Islamic State West Africa Province accounted for 41 rifles (14.5 per cent).
It further linked the Indigenous People of Biafra to the theft of nine rifles, while kidnappers and Boko Haram were blamed for 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 noted that Delta and Abia alone accounted for 42 per cent of all recorded rifle thefts nationwide.
SBM Intelligence also observed that the rate of attacks leading to the theft of service rifles increased significantly in 2026, raising concerns over the vulnerability of security personnel and armouries.
Despite the losses, the report said security agencies recovered 1,442 rifles within the same period, suggesting that stolen service weapons represent only a fraction of the country’s wider illicit arms circulation.
It stated, “Between 2021 and mid-2026, armed groups stole 282 rifles from Nigerian security forces across 94 incidents. Police lost 71 per cent of these. Delta and Abia accounted for 42 per cent of thefts, with the pace accelerating in 2026.
“Yet the recoveries (1,442) dwarf thefts; this is a sign that Nigeria’s illegal weapons problem goes far beyond stolen service rifles.”.
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