By Seyi Odewale
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to Nigeria’s 36 state governors, demanding full disclosure of how public funds allocated as security votes have been spent since May 29, 2023.
In letters dated June 28, 2025, and signed by Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP urged governors not only to publish details of the expenditures but also to invite anti-corruption agencies—EFCC and ICPC—to investigate and monitor how the funds were used.
SERAP said the lack of transparency around security votes has contributed to rising insecurity, poverty, and human rights abuses across many states. It cited the recent Benue massacre and other security failures as justification for heightened public scrutiny.
The organisation emphasised that, based on a landmark Supreme Court ruling, the Freedom of Information Act is binding on all states, and governors can no longer claim immunity from public disclosure.
“Security votes are not personal funds,” SERAP stated. “Governors treating them as such violates constitutional provisions and public trust. Nigerians have the right to know how public funds are being spent.”
SERAP warned that failure to comply within seven days would prompt legal action to compel transparency in the public interest.
