A new SBM Intel Violence Tracker report, Nigeria’s Stolen Rifles: Who Loses, Who Takes, says the Nigeria Police lost 201 rifles to terrorists, bandits and other armed groups between 2021 and mid-2026.
The report said 282 rifles disappeared in 94 separate incidents across the country. Of that number, the police lost 201 rifles, making up 71.3% of the total. The military lost 45 rifles (16%), while 15 rifles (5.3%) were lost by unspecified security agencies.
Other security agencies, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Customs Service, lost 12 rifles. Vigilante groups lost nine.
The report blamed “unknown gunmen” for taking 168 rifles, or 59.6% of the total. Bandits stole 58 rifles (20.6%), while the Islamic State West Africa Province took 41 (14.5%). The Indigenous People of Biafra was linked to nine stolen rifles, kidnappers to four, and Boko Haram to two.
Delta recorded the highest number of stolen rifles with 67, followed by Abia with 51, Borno with 40, Zamfara with 20, and Katsina with 11. According to the report, Delta and Abia together accounted for 42% of all stolen rifles. It also said the rate of theft increased in 2026.
Despite the losses, SBM Intel said security agencies recovered 1,442 rifles during the same period. The report said this shows Nigeria’s illegal arms problem goes beyond weapons stolen from 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.
