An inspector and his girlfriend were taken into custody by the Taraba State Police Command after an a$$ault rifle was reportedly lost near the Wukari–Jootar Federal Highway. 

The missing gun belonged to 45-year-old Insp. Joshua Charles of the Safer Highway Patrol, according to security analyst Zagazola Makam. 

Three other officers, Insp. Haruna Galadima, Insp. Isah Waziri, and Insp. Umar Mohammed, were reportedly left on duty when the inspector allegedly left his duty post for Wukari town on December 25, 2025, at around 3:00 p.m. 

“At about 8: 30 p.m., the inspector’s girlfriend, one Ruth Alphancis of Sabon Gari area in Jalingo, who has been cohabiting with him since August 2025, returned from Jootar village in Benue and claimed to have seen an unidentified person breaking out of the house,” a source said.

He added that on the inspector’s return from Wukari town, allegedly in a drunken state, he discovered that his Type 06 a$$ault rifle, loaded with 25 rounds of live ammunition, which he said he left inside the room, was missing. 

The breach number of the rifle could not be immediately ascertained, the source said. 

Following the report, the sources said operatives visited the scene, while efforts were intensified to recover the missing firearm and apprehend those responsible. 

“The inspector and his girlfriend are currently in detention to aid investigation, while collaborative efforts involving local residents and hunters are ongoing to recover the rifle,” the source added.