SERAP has called on President Bola Tinubu to order a full-scale investigation into allegations that more than ₦6.79 billion in public funds was diverted or mismanaged within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, while also demanding the recovery of missing firearms, ammunition and other police exhibits.
The anti-corruption organisation said the allegations, contained in the latest Annual Report of the Auditor-General of the Federation published on September 9, 2025, reveal widespread financial irregularities, abandoned projects, procurement breaches and poor accountability in the management of police resources.
In a letter dated August 1, 2026, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP urged President Tinubu to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, and relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate those implicated and prosecute anyone found culpable.
The organisation also called for the recovery of all missing public funds, firearms and ammunition, warning that the Auditor-General’s findings point to “a grave betrayal of the public trust.”
According to SERAP, the report raises serious concerns over corruption in the police, including payments for projects that were never executed, abandoned contracts, inflated contract sums, irregular procurement, unretired cash advances, unsettled insurance claims and payments for services allegedly not rendered.
It further alleged that missing firearms and ammunition, the unauthorised release and use of police exhibits, poor record-keeping and insecure storage of weapons pose significant threats to public safety and national security.
“The diversion of funds meant for policing, abandoned security projects, missing firearms and ammunition, and the misuse of police exhibits undermine the operational effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force, weaken public confidence and may contribute to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity,” SERAP stated.
The organisation gave the Federal Government seven days to act on its demands, warning that it would institute legal proceedings if no satisfactory action is taken.
Among the findings cited by SERAP from the Auditor-General’s report is the alleged payment of ₦499.9 million for the construction of Phase II of the Police College in Bashar, Plateau State, despite the project not being executed.
It also referenced another ₦111.6 million allegedly paid for the construction of transit camp facilities and rehabilitation works at the NPF Pre-Retirement Skills Acquisition Centre in Kudan, Kaduna State, which the report said was never carried out.
The report further alleged that about ₦1.94 billion was paid for 14 police contracts categorised as ongoing projects, but the projects were abandoned while fresh contracts were awarded for the same works.
SERAP also highlighted allegations involving missing weapons, noting that 42 firearms, including AK-47 rifles and pistols, alongside 737 rounds of live ammunition booked into the FCT Police Command armoury between 2021 and 2022, were allegedly never returned.
The Auditor-General reportedly expressed fears that the weapons could have been lost or fallen into the wrong hands.
The report also alleged that police exhibits, including recovered firearms and vehicles, were converted to operational use without proper authorisation, while several exhibits recorded in official registers could not be accounted for during the audit.
According to SERAP, the audit also uncovered cases where monetary exhibits worth over ₦5 million, firearms, ammunition and other recovered items were released without proper documentation or the execution of required bonds.
Other allegations cited include the storage of obsolete firearms in unsecured locations, failure to prepare the NPF’s 2022 financial statements, irregular payment of allowances outside approved budgetary provisions, unretired cash advances exceeding approved limits, failure to deduct statutory taxes from contracts, and the engagement of consultants and contractors without due process.
The group also pointed to findings involving the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, including alleged procurement irregularities in contracts worth over ₦438 million for bulletproof vests, ballistic helmets and troop carriers, as well as payments for training programmes and vehicle procurements allegedly carried out without due diligence.
SERAP further cited the Auditor-General’s findings that the Police Insurance Unit allegedly paid over ₦681 million to insurance brokers without beneficiaries receiving the claims, while insurance liabilities exceeding ₦1 billion remained unsettled.
The organisation argued that the allegations, if left unaddressed, would continue to erode public confidence in law enforcement and undermine the government’s efforts to combat corruption and insecurity.
It reminded the Federal Government that Section 15(5) of the 1999 Constitution mandates the State to abolish corrupt practices and abuse of power, while Section 14 provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
