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 to security votes, including reports of mass killings in Benue State and other violent incidents nationwide.
The development was disclosed in a statement signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Mr. Kolawole Oluwadare, and made available to PUNCH Online on Sunday.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/95/2026, was filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
SERAP is asking the court to compel the governors and the FCT minister to publicly disclose details of how security votes collected since May 29, 2023, have been spent.
The organisation is also seeking an order directing them to provide comprehensive reports on the allocation, utilisation, implementation status and completion of projects funded with security votes, as well as plans to improve security infrastructure in their states and the FCT.
According to SERAP, over ₦400 billion is budgeted annually as security votes nationwide, while at least 10 governors reportedly earmarked about ₦140 billion for the same purpose in the 2026 budget year.
SERAP argued that Nigerians have a constitutional right to know how public funds meant to protect lives and property are 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 stated.
The group warned that escalating insecurity continues to take a heavy 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.
SERAP further argued that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) does not support secretive spending of public funds, stressing that democracy requires transparency and accountability.
“The framers of the Nigerian Constitution never contemplated opaque spending of public funds as security votes,” SERAP said, noting that citizens’ right to know strengthens democratic governance.
The suit, filed by SERAP’s lawyers- Oluwakemi Agunbiade, Andrew Nwankwo and Valentina Adegoke, also warned that secrecy surrounding security votes increases the risk of embezzlement, misappropriation and diversion of public funds.
SERAP cited a Supreme Court judgment affirming that the Freedom of Information Act applies to public records across the federation, including security vote records held by states and the FCT.
“With this landmark judgment, state governors can no longer hide under the claim that the Freedom of Information Act does not apply to them,” the organisation said.
SERAP maintained that while certain operational details may be protected for national security reasons, there is no legal justification for withholding basic information on public spending, adding that treating security votes as personal entitlement amounts to a grave violation of public trust.