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A total of 282 rifles were stolen from Nigerian security personnel in 94 incidents between 2021 and mid-2026, with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) accounting for more than 70 percent of the losses, according to a new report by SBM Intel Violence Tracker.
The report, titled ‘Nigeria’s Stolen Rifles: Who Loses, Who Takes’, found that the police lost 201 rifles during the period, representing 71.3 percent of all stolen weapons.
The military recorded the second-highest losses with 45 rifles, or 16 percent of the total. Unspecified security agencies lost 15 rifles, while other agencies, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Customs Service, accounted for 12 stolen rifles. Vigilante groups lost nine rifles.
SBM Intel identified “unknown gunmen” as the leading perpetrators, linking them to the theft of 168 rifles, representing 59.6 percent of all recorded cases. Bandits were responsible for 58 stolen rifles, while the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) accounted for 41.
The report also attributed the theft of nine rifles to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), while kidnappers and Boko Haram were linked to four and two rifles, respectively.
An analysis of the incidents showed that Delta State recorded the highest number of stolen rifles at 67, followed by Abia with 51. Borno recorded 40 cases, while Zamfara and Katsina recorded 20 and 11 cases, respectively.
According to the report, Delta and Abia together accounted for 42 percent of all rifles stolen from security personnel during the review period. It also noted that the rate of theft increased in 2026.
Despite the losses, the report said security agencies recovered 1,442 rifles between 2021 and mid-2026, a figure significantly higher than the number stolen from state security personnel.
“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,” the report stated.
