The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over their alleged failure to account for billions of naira spent as security votes since May 29, 2023.
SERAP said the suit was prompted by persistent insecurity across several states and the FCT, despite huge public funds allocated annually as security votes. The organisation cited reports of mass killings in Benue State and other violent incidents across the country.
In a statement issued on Sunday, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, disclosed that the suit was filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/95/2026, seeks an order compelling the governors and the FCT minister to publicly disclose how security votes collected since May 29, 2023, have been spent.
SERAP is also asking the court to direct the defendants to provide detailed accounts of the allocation and utilisation of the funds, the implementation and completion status of projects financed with security votes, and any measures put in place to strengthen security infrastructure in their respective states and the FCT.
According to the organisation, more than N400 billion is budgeted annually as security votes nationwide, while at least 10 governors reportedly set aside about N140 billion for the same purpose in the 2026 budget year alone.
In the suit, SERAP argued that Nigerians have a constitutional right to know how public funds earmarked for the protection of lives and property are being utilised.
“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.
SERAP warned that escalating insecurity is taking a severe toll on socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians, worsening poverty, hunger and human rights abuses. It added that many governors and the FCT minister have failed to effectively discharge their constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.
The rights group maintained that the Nigerian Constitution does not permit secretive spending of public funds, stressing that transparency and accountability are fundamental to democratic governance.
“The framers of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) never contemplated opaque spending of public funds as security votes,” SERAP said, noting that citizens’ right to information promotes openness and strengthens democracy.
The suit, filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Oluwakemi Agunbiade, Andrew Nwankwo and Valentina Adegoke, further argued that secrecy surrounding security votes increases the risk of embezzlement, misappropriation and diversion of public funds.
“There is a significant risk of embezzlement, misappropriation or diversion of public funds collected by the states and the FCT as security votes,” the organisation added.
