A police inspector from PMF 51 in Oghara, the headquarters of Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, has reportedly misplaced his AK-47 rifle along with sixty (60) rounds of ammunition.

The mobile police officer, Yusuf Samaila, is affiliated with the palace of the Olu of Warri.

The officer lost his service rifle with breach number: 0927, with 60 rounds of ammunition on Sunday when he went to watch the match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on the palace premises.

Confirming the incident to SaharaReporters, a source in the palace privy to the matter, said that the mobile police officer had locked his rifle with 60 rounds of ammunition inside his room in the palace and gone to watch the match. But when he returned to his room, the rifle was missing.

The source said, “It was during half time when he came back to his room, he discovered that the room was burgled and his rifle had been taken away by an unknown person.

“Based on this, his unit commander attached to Olu of Warri Palace went to Warri Area Command to incident the case of missing firearm that the Inspector locked his AK-47 rifle with breach number: 0927, in his room and went to watch the AFCON finals between Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire within the palace premises.

“The police officer has been defaulted while an effort to recover and arrest anyone behind the stolen rifle and ammunition is in place.”

Contacted on the issue, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe Bright in a text message simply said, “False, the rifle was immediately recovered.”