The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against Nigeria’s state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, over alleged failures to account for billions of naira spent as security votes since the start of the current administration on May 29, 2023.
The lawsuit was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja last Friday under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/95/2026.
In the court filing, SERAP is asking the judiciary to compel the governors and the FCT minister to disclose detailed information on the allocation and utilisation of security vote funds, including reports on implementation status, completion of projects financed with such votes, and any plans to improve security infrastructure in their states and the FCT.
SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, in a statement accompanying the suit, argued that Nigerians have a constitutional right to know how public funds, including security votes intended to ensure the security of life and property, are being spent.
The organisation emphasised that the escalating insecurity in several states and the FCT, despite over N400 billion budgeted annually for security votes and about N140 billion reportedly allocated by ten governors in the 2026 budget, underscores the need for transparency.
According to SERAP, the continued secrecy around the use of security votes has raised the risk of embezzlement, misappropriation or diversion of public funds, undermining public oversight and accountability.
The organisation noted that years of opaque spending have limited the ability of Nigerians to hold public officials accountable for their constitutional responsibilities to ensure the security and welfare of citizens.
The lawsuit also referenced a Supreme Court judgment affirming that the Freedom of Information Act applies to public records across the federation, including those held by states and the FCT on security vote spending.
SERAP argued that this legal precedent removes any basis for withholding basic information on public spending from citizens, despite occasional operational secrecy claims in the name of national security.
In its argument before the court, SERAP described the failure by the governors and the FCT minister to disclose and account for security votes spending as a “grave violation of the public trust” and contrary to the Nigerian Constitution, national anti-corruption laws, and international human rights and anti-corruption obligations.
The organisation also asserted that the tendency by some public officials to treat security votes as personal entitlement contradicts constitutional principles and democratic governance norms.
SERAP cited the recent classification of Nigeria by the World Bank as an economy in fragile and conflict-affected situations, noting that persistent insecurity has contributed to extreme poverty, food insecurity and development challenges in the country.
The group argued that accountability in security spending is crucial to addressing these systemic challenges.
No date has been fixed yet for the hearing of the suit, which could set a significant precedent for fiscal transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s security governance framework.
