Ijadola Ademolekun, writes in from Ile-Ife, Osun State

A police vehicle, a Toyota Buffalo Land Cruiser with registration number NPF 5594 D and chassis number JTELU71JX0B027126, has reportedly gone missing from the premises of the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The disappearance, said to have occurred within the very precincts of Louis Edet House, raises serious questions about internal security within the country’s foremost law enforcement institution.

For many observers, the development is more than a logistical lapse; it is deeply symbolic. If an official vehicle can vanish from the citadel of policing authority, what does that say about the safety of lives and property elsewhere?

The Force Headquarters is widely regarded as one of the most secure government facilities in the country, with multiple layers of checkpoints, armed guards, and surveillance systems. Yet, despite these measures, the vehicle in question was allegedly removed without trace.

The incident has sparked debate on the credibility of existing security arrangements within the police establishment and, by extension, across national institutions. It also fuels broader concerns about accountability and the state’s capacity to safeguard its own assets, let alone those of its citizens.

It raises hard questions. Was this negligence? Or worse, complicity? In a system where accountability is weak and oversight is porous, both answers are possible and both are damning.

The symbolism is brutal. Criminal gangs are already emboldened by the weakness of state institutions. This incident will only fuel their confidence. If the police cannot protect their own fleet, how can they confront bandits in Zamfara, kidnappers in Kaduna, or robbers in Lagos?

The police cannot shrug this off. Nigerians deserve answers. Was the vehicle stolen, sold, or “misplaced”? Who was responsible? And what punishment will follow? Silence or cover-up will only deepen the public’s distrust in an institution already battling a credibility crisis.

This scandal must be treated as a turning point. It should force the police to fix internal lapses, tighten controls, and embrace technology. Every asset should be trackable. Every movement accountable. Anything less is unacceptable.

But this is bigger than one missing car. It is about the integrity of Nigeria’s entire security architecture. Weak institutions, poor discipline, and a culture of impunity have left citizens exposed. The missing Land Cruiser is just the latest reminder of a system in disrepair.

If the Nigerian Police Force wants to regain trust, it must act swiftly, transparently, and decisively. Nigerians are watching.

Because if a car can vanish at Force Headquarters, then truly, no one is safe.