SERAP Hits Wike, 21 Governors With Court Case Over Alleged Security Vote Misuse

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against Nigeria’s state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, at the Federal High Court over their alleged failure to account for billions of naira spent as “security votes” since May 29, 2023.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In the suit, SERAP accused the governors and the FCT minister of withholding information on how funds, intended to safeguard lives and property, have been used, even as insecurity worsens across the country. The action follows reports of mass killings in Benue State and widespread insecurity in multiple states and the FCT, despite governments reportedly budgeting over ₦400 billion annually for security votes.

SERAP noted that at least 10 governors alone allocated about ₦140 billion for security votes in the 2026 fiscal year. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/95/2026, urges the court to compel the defendants to publicly disclose how security votes have been spent.

The organization is asking the court to require the governors and Wike to provide detailed reports on the allocation, expenditure, and implementation of security votes, including updates on security infrastructure plans and completion status in their respective jurisdictions.

According to SERAP, Nigerians have the right to know how public funds, particularly those meant for security, are spent. The group highlighted that escalating insecurity is disproportionately affecting vulnerable citizens, worsening poverty, hunger, and other human rights violations.

SERAP further argued that several governors and the FCT minister are failing to fulfill their constitutional duty to protect lives and property. The organization emphasized that the Nigerian Constitution and democratic principles do not allow for opaque spending of public funds and that transparency in the use of security votes is crucial for accountability and public trust.

The lawsuit, filed by SERAP lawyers Oluwakemi Agunbiade, Andrew Nwankwo, and Valentina Adegoke, stressed that secrecy in security vote spending has facilitated misappropriation of public funds. It also argued that disclosure would allow Nigerians to engage meaningfully in discussions about security challenges and government responses.

SERAP cited Section 15(5) of the Constitution, which obliges public officials to abolish corruption and abuse of office, and the Supreme Court’s ruling affirming that the Freedom of Information Act applies to records on security vote spending.

The organization concluded that the failure of governors and the FCT minister to account for these funds violates public trust, national anti-corruption laws, and international obligations, noting that security votes should either improve state security or be returned to the treasury.

Finally, SERAP referenced the World Bank’s classification of Nigeria as an economy in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS), emphasizing that insecurity contributes to poverty, disrupts essential services, and exacerbates human rights violations nationwide.