In a bold and urgent call for transparency, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued Freedom of Information (FoI) requests to all 36 state governors in Nigeria, demanding immediate disclosure of how billions of naira in “security votes” have been spent since May 29, 2023.
In a letter dated June 28, signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation urged governors to not only publish a detailed breakdown of their security spending but to also invite anti-graft agencies—the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)—to thoroughly investigate and monitor all related expenditures.
The demand comes amid worsening insecurity across the country and mounting public outrage over the persistent misuse and opacity of security-related funds.
> “In the wake of the Benue massacre and continued violence plaguing many states, the Nigerian people deserve full accountability on how security votes are being utilised,” SERAP stated in a press release issued Sunday.
Citing Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended), which mandates government to ensure the security and welfare of citizens, SERAP lashed out at governors for “grossly failing to deliver” despite the staggering billions allocated to so-called security operations.
Security votes—an allocation shrouded in secrecy and exempt from public scrutiny—are meant to fund critical security interventions. However, critics have repeatedly described them as “slush funds,” often exploited for personal and political gain.
> “The veil of secrecy around security votes is not only unconstitutional but has become a dangerous breeding ground for corruption,” SERAP emphasized. “The Nigerian Constitution places an unambiguous obligation on governors to explain how they spend these funds.”
According to the group, state governors and local government chairmen pocketed over ₦375 billion in security votes in 2021 alone, with no concrete accountability to show for it.
SERAP’s letter referenced a landmark Supreme Court ruling affirming that the Freedom of Information Act applies across all levels of government, effectively dismantling the long-standing excuse by governors that the Act does not apply at the state level.
> “The judgment sends a powerful message: Governors can no longer run from scrutiny or hide under false legal cover. The era of unaccountable governance is over,” the organisation said.
The group also cited a damning World Bank report that recently listed Nigeria among countries classified as fragile and conflict-affected states, alongside war-torn nations like Afghanistan, Mali, and Sudan. The report highlights how insecurity in Nigeria is accelerating poverty, hunger, and the collapse of essential public services.
Warning of legal consequences, SERAP gave governors seven days from the receipt or publication of the FoI request to comply or face “appropriate legal actions in the public interest.”
> “Any continued failure to account for security vote expenditures amounts to a grave betrayal of public trust, and a direct violation of the Nigerian Constitution and anti-corruption laws,” SERAP warned.
The organisation concluded by urging governors to honour the Supreme Court’s verdict, embrace transparency, and show Nigerians that their lives—not secret budgets—are the true security priority.
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