The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has sent Freedom of Information, FoI requests to Nigeria’s 36 state governors, urging them to account for the spending of public funds in the name of security votes by their states since 29 May 2023.
SERAP to EFCC, ICPC, probe security votes
The group also asked the 36 state governors to “urgently invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC,” to jointly investigate the spending of the security votes.
SERAP, in the FoI requests dated 28 June 2025 and signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, stated that “the escalating insecurity in several states is taking a devastating toll on socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians, driving up extreme poverty, intensifying hunger and leading to other grave human rights violations.”
According to the organisation, “The framers of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] never contemplated opaque spending of public funds as security votes,” warning that “despite the billions of naira yearly budgeted, many governors are grossly failing to ensure the security and welfare of the people in their states.”
Citing section 14(2)(b) and 15(5) of the Constitution, SERAP insisted the governors are constitutionally bound to both guarantee security and abolish corruption. It added, “Nigerians have the right to know how your state is spending public funds.”
The organisation referenced the Supreme Court’s judgement affirming that the FoI Act applies to public records in the Federation, including those kept by state governments, saying, “Governors can no longer hide under the unfounded claim that the FoI Act does not apply to them.”
SERAP warned that failure to comply within 7 days may result in legal action. It further maintained that “the public interest in publishing the information sought outweighs any considerations to withhold the information.”
According to SERAP, “The intense secrecy and lack of meaningful oversight of the spending of security votes by governors have for many years contributed to large-scale stealing of public funds.”
CASEFILE gathered that security votes are monthly fund allocated for states in Nigeria. Such allowances in Nigeria are opaque and discretionary public funds meant for addressing insecurity, but they are widely criticised for fueling corruption, lack of accountability and poor governance outcomes.
Groups like SERAP are now pushing for governors to publicly account for how these funds are spent.
