The Socio Economic Rights and Accountability Project has instituted a legal action against state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over their alleged failure to account for the use of security vote funds.
The rights group said the lawsuit was necessitated by persistent insecurity across several states and the FCT despite the allocation of substantial public funds to security votes since May 29, 2023. It cited recurring violent incidents, including reports of mass killings in Benue State and other parts of the country, as evidence that security challenges remain unresolved.
According to SERAP, the suit was filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja and is seeking an order compelling the governors and the FCT minister to publicly disclose details of how security votes received during the period under review have been spent.
The organisation is also asking the court to direct the respondents to provide comprehensive reports on the allocation, utilisation and implementation of projects funded through security votes, as well as information on completed and ongoing security related initiatives.
SERAP noted that more than N400 billion is reportedly budgeted annually as security votes nationwide, with several governors allegedly setting aside about N140 billion for the same purpose in the 2026 fiscal year.
The group argued that Nigerians have a constitutional right to know how public funds intended to safeguard lives and property are managed. It warned that worsening insecurity is deepening poverty, hunger and human rights violations, particularly among vulnerable populations.
SERAP further maintained that democratic governance requires transparency and accountability, stressing that the Constitution does not support secretive expenditure of public resources under any guise.
