The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to order an immediate investigation into allegations of financial mismanagement involving more than N6.79 billion in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, as well as the reported disappearance of firearms and ammunition from police armouries.

The organisation also called on the President to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, and relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate those implicated in the Auditor-General’s findings and prosecute anyone found culpable.

SERAP further demanded the recovery of allegedly diverted public funds, missing firearms, ammunition and police exhibits, warning that the reported irregularities pose a threat to public safety and national security.

The demands were contained in an open letter dated August 1, 2026, and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, following the publication of the Auditor-General’s annual report released on September 9, 2025.

According to SERAP, the audit report uncovered widespread financial irregularities, including payments for unexecuted projects, abandoned contracts, inflated contract costs, procurement violations, unretired cash advances, unresolved insurance claims and payments for services allegedly not rendered.

The organisation described the findings as “a grave betrayal of public trust” and expressed concern over the management of public funds, police exhibits and government-owned firearms.

Among the issues highlighted was the reported disappearance of 42 firearms, including AK-47 rifles and pistols, as well as 737 rounds of ammunition from the Federal Capital Territory Police Command armoury between 2021 and 2022.

SERAP said the report raised concerns that the weapons could have been lost or misappropriated.

The organisation also cited allegations that police authorities converted recovered exhibits, including vehicles and firearms, for operational use without proper authorisation, failed to account for several exhibits, released monetary and non-monetary items without adequate documentation and stored obsolete firearms under unsafe conditions.

According to SERAP, these lapses, alongside alleged diversion of public funds and abandoned projects, have weakened policing and worsened insecurity across the country.

The group referenced findings in the audit report, including an alleged N499.9 million payment for an uncompleted Police College project in Plateau State, over N111 million reportedly spent on another abandoned project in Kaduna State and approximately N1.94 billion allegedly expended on 14 abandoned projects despite the award of fresh contracts.

It also pointed to alleged procurement irregularities involving contracts worth more than N438 million, questionable payments for patrol vehicles and security allowances, and over N681 million paid to insurance brokers without evidence that claims were settled.

Other findings cited by SERAP included the alleged failure of the Nigeria Police Force to produce its 2022 financial statements, unretired cash advances above approved limits, procurement breaches and failure to deduct statutory taxes on contracts.

SERAP gave the Federal Government seven days to take action, warning that it would pursue legal action if no concrete steps were taken.

The organisation argued that failure to address the allegations could further erode public confidence in law enforcement institutions and undermine constitutional obligations to combat corruption and safeguard the security and welfare of Nigerians.