A police sergeant who was in charge of the armoury at the Ipakodo division of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has been arrested following his attempt to commit suicide when an inspection team discovered that over 160 guns were missing from the armoury.

Sergeant Sunday Odu was prevented from taking his life by members of a police audit team on a visit to the police station on Thursday.

A source within the police said Odu and another policeman had tried to bribe the audit team on their arrival at the station albeit unsuccessfully.

“During the audit, they discovered that they had sold many of the arms and ammunition. To be precise, about 162 arms had been sold.

“Immediately the situation was discovered, the armourer, a police sergeant, cocked his gun and wanted to kill himself.

“But the team quickly seized the gun from him and handcuffed him. He has been taken to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID). After much interrogation and beating, he confessed that he sold the arms and another policeman was involved,” the source said.

A source at the SCIID confirmed that the policeman was in custody and that the number of ammunition sold to militants terrorising the state was large.

“I was told the Divisional Police Officer, who checked the armoury, discovered that where they kept bullets were filled with stones,” the SCIID source told the Punch.

Militants have at different times attacked waterside communities in Lagos and the actions of the police sergeant and his accomplice may have contributed to empowering the insurgents.