Account for the security votes, invites EFCC, ICPC – Serap he says to 36 …

The project of socio-economic rights and responsibilities (Serap) has sent requests for freedom of information (foi) to the 36 state governors of Nigeria who urge them to “promptly take into account the expenditure of public funds in the name of the” security votes “by your states from 29 May 2023 to guarantee and guarantee the safety of life and ownership of the Nigeric residents in your States”.

Serap also urged governors to “urgently invite the commission for economic and financial crimes (EFCC) and independent corrupt practices and other related crimes (ICPC) to investigate, keep track and monitor the expense of the safety votes by your states”.

In the Foi requests of 28 June 2025 and signed by the deputy director Serap Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “In the wake of the massacre of Benue and the cases in progress in different states, there is a legitimate public interest for governors to explain how to spend the security votes.”

Serap said: “The growing insecurity in several states is undergoing a devastating tribute to socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians, guiding extreme poverty, intensifying hunger and leading to other serious violations of human rights”.

According to Serap, “The Framers of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] I have never contemplated the opaque expenditure of public funds as security votes. “

The requests of foi readings in part: “Despite the billions of naira bibloppati as security votes, many governors are unable to guarantee and guarantee the safety and well -being of people in their states, contrary to section 14 (2) (b) of the Nigerian Constitution.

“The obligations of state governors to guarantee and guarantee the security and well -being of the Nigerian people are interconnected from their responsibility pursuant to section 15 (5) of the Nigerian Constitution to” abolish all the corrupt practices and abuses “.

“The Nigerian Constitution requires a fundamental obligation for governors to take into account and explain to the Nigerians how the security votes spend.

“Only in 2021, state governors and local government presidents in the 36 states would have collected over N375 billion from the public treasure on behalf of the security votes.

“The Nigerians have the right to know how your state is spending public funds in the financial statements as security votes to guarantee and guarantee the safety of the life and ownership of the Nigerians residing in your state.

“While Serap includes that authorities can maintain certain issues of operating secrets from people in the name of national security, there is no constitutional or legal basis to hide the basic information on public spending from people.

“We will be grateful if the recommended measures are adopted within 7 days of the receipt and/or in the publication of this letter. If since then we have not heard of you, Serap will consider the appropriate legal actions to force your state to conform to our requests in the public interest.

“Serap observes that the Supreme Court in a revolutionary sentence has declared that the Freedom of Information Act” is applicable and applies to the public registers of the Federation “, including those preserved by your State.

“With the reference sentence, the Supreme Court clarified that state governors can no longer hide under their unfounded affirmation according to which the law on freedom of information does not apply to them.

“As the Supreme Court said, any law on the freedom of information by the state is subject to the law on freedom of information.

“Any failure to comply with the expense of the security votes by its own state will be equivalent to a clear contempt for the Supreme Court sentence which has actually put an end to the statements by the governors according to which the law on freedom of information does not apply to how public funds spend, including security votes.

“The judgment sends a powerful message that state governors can no longer escape the responsibility for the way they spend the security votes. Serap urges you to promptly support the judgment taking into account how your state is spending the security votes.

“The Supreme Court indicated the way to governors to show transparency and responsibility in spending security votes.

“The dissemination of the details of the expenditure of public funds as security votes by your state would serve to involve the Nigerian people in an honest conversation on safety problems in different states and on what governors are doing to respond to them.

“The intense secrecy and the lack of a significant supervision of the expenditure of the security votes by the governors have contributed for many years to the large scale theft of public funds.

“Years of secrecy in spending security votes have also limited the ability of people to hold high -ranking public officials to take into account their constitutional responsibility to guarantee people’s safety and well -being.

“The inability by state governors to disseminate and take into account the expense for security votes is a serious violation of the trust of the public and the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the national laws on anti -corruption and international human rights of the country and the anti -corruption obligations.

“The pervasive tendency by governors to consider or deal with the security votes since their personal or funds is antithetical to the Nigerian Constitution and international standards. Safety votes should be used to improve the security situation in the States or returned to the public treasure.

“Section 14 (2) (b) of the Nigerian Constitution provides that” the safety and well -being of the people will be the main purpose of the government “. Section 15 (5) of the Nigerian Constitution requires your state to abolish all corrupt practices and the abuse of power.

“Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution further imposes the clear responsibility for its own state to conform, observe and apply the provisions of chapter 2 of the Constitution.

“The public interest in publishing the information requested exceeds any consideration to hold back the information.

“According to our information, last week the World Bank classified Nigeria as” economy in fragile situations and affected by the conflict (FCS) “, which explains why the country continues to face serious and persistent development challenges.

“Another 38 countries classified as FCS together with Nigeria include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Libya, Mali and Sudan. The World Bank has observed that insecurity is contributing to the extreme poverty in Nigeria.

“According to the bank,” the prospects for poverty in Nigeria are reassuring. Millions of people are currently experiencing acute food insecurity. Serious gaps in education and health undermine human development in the country. “

“The weak state capacity, insecurity and interruptions related to conflicts contribute to poor results through basic services. Insecurity is increasing and inflicting serious economic damage while contributing to human rights violations in different states.

“Several state governors continue to not be able to effectively download their primary and constitutional liability to protect the life and property of the Nigerian people”.

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