By Ayomide Otitoju
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against several state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over alleged failures to account for billions of naira spent as security votes since May 29, 2023.
SERAP said the legal action was prompted by persistent insecurity across the country, despite large annual allocations to security votes, including reports of mass killings in Benue State and other violent incidents nationwide.
In a statement on Sunday, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the suit was filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja under case number FHC/ABJ/CS/95/2026. The organisation is asking the court to compel the governors and the FCT minister to publicly disclose details of security vote expenditures since May 2023.
The suit seeks an order requiring detailed reports on the allocation, utilisation, implementation, and completion of projects funded with security votes, as well as any plans to improve security infrastructure in their jurisdictions.
According to SERAP, over N400 billion is budgeted annually for security votes nationwide, with at least 10 governors reportedly earmarking about N140 billion for 2026 alone.
“Nigerians ought to know in what manner public funds, including security votes meant to ensure the security of life and property, are spent by the governors and the FCT minister,” the organisation said, warning that rising insecurity is taking a heavy toll on vulnerable citizens, exacerbating poverty, hunger, and human rights abuses.
SERAP argued that secretive spending of public funds undermines democracy and transparency, stressing that the Nigerian Constitution does not permit opaque use of security votes. “The framers of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] never contemplated opaque spending of public funds as security votes,” the group said.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of SERAP by lawyers Oluwakemi Agunbiade, Andrew Nwankwo, and Valentina Adegoke, also warned that secrecy around security votes increases the risk of embezzlement and diversion of public funds.
“There is a significant risk of embezzlement, misappropriation or diversion of public funds collected by the states and FCT as security votes,” SERAP added.
