New Report Reveals 282 Rifles Lost by Security Forces to Armed Groups

A recent publication by SBM Intel Violence Tracker has brought to light that the Nigeria Police Force saw 201 of its rifles seized by terrorists, bandits, and other armed factions between 2021 and mid-2026. The report, aptly titled 'Nigeria’s Stolen Rifles: Who Loses, Who Takes,' detailed a total of 282 rifles confiscated from various security personnel across 94 separate incidents nationwide.

According to the findings, the Police Force bore the brunt of these losses, accounting for 201 stolen firearms, which constitutes 71.3 percent of the total. The military also suffered significant losses, with 45 rifles taken, making up 16 percent. Unspecified security organizations collectively lost 15 rifles, representing 5.3 percent. Other agencies, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Customs Service, had 12 rifles stolen, while vigilante groups lost nine.

The report identified 'unknown gunmen' as the primary culprits behind these thefts, responsible for 168 rifles, or 59.6 percent of all stolen weapons. Bandits were linked to the theft of 58 rifles, accounting for 20.6 percent, while the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) was attributed 41 rifles, or 14.5 percent of the total. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) was connected to nine rifle thefts, kidnappers to four, and Boko Haram to two.

Geographically, Delta State recorded the highest number of stolen rifles with 67, followed closely by Abia State with 51. Borno State saw 40 rifles stolen, Zamfara 20, and Katsina 11. Notably, Delta and Abia states alone were responsible for 42 percent of all reported rifle thefts. The SBM Intel report also indicated an acceleration in the rate of these thefts during 2026.

Despite these losses, SBM Intel noted that security agencies successfully recovered 1,442 rifles within the identical timeframe. This suggests that Nigeria's pervasive issue of illegal weapons extends far beyond just firearms pilfered from official security personnel. The report concluded, stating: “Between 2021 and mid-2026, armed groups stole 282 rifles from Nigerian security forces across 94 incidents. Police lost 71% of these. Delta and Abia accounted for 42% 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.”