N252bn For Security in 6 Months? Killings, Kidnappings Persist, Raising Fresh Accountability Questions

• Thirty-one state governments spent a combined N252.26 billion on security between January and June 2026, with Kogi, Plateau and Bauchi emerging as the biggest spenders

• Security-related spending rose sharply from the previous year, driven largely by increased allocations to security votes, operations and equipment procurement

• Experts and civil society groups have questioned the impact of the massive expenditure, arguing that rising budgets should be matched by measurable reductions in crime

• Despite intensified military operations and increased state funding, official figures still recorded hundreds of kidnappings and killings during the first half of the year

August 18, () —  reports that no fewer than 31 state governments spent an estimated N252.26 billion on security-related programmes in the first six months of 2026, even as killings, kidnappings, terrorism, banditry and communal violence continued to claim lives across Nigeria.

An analysis of the January-to-June 2026 budget performance reports obtained from Open Nigerian States, a BudgIT-backed repository of government budget data, showed that states significantly increased spending on security equipment, homeland security personnel, security operations, ministries of security, security votes and security trust funds.

The figures underscore the growing financial commitment by state governments to complement federal security efforts. However, they have also intensified public scrutiny over whether the huge allocations are translating into improved safety and effective crime prevention.

According to the analysis, Kogi State recorded the highest security expenditure with N34.67 billion, representing 13.74 per cent of the total captured in the data. Plateau State followed with N23.69 billion, while Bauchi State spent N22.35 billion.

Together, the three states accounted for approximately N80.70 billion, representing about 32 per cent of the total security expenditure.

Other states with substantial spending included Bayelsa (N17.49bn), Ekiti (N14.83bn), Anambra (N13.40bn), Sokoto (N11.27bn), Ondo (N10.54bn), Kaduna (N10.37bn), Kebbi (N10.14bn), Adamawa (N9.95bn), Zamfara (N9.07bn), Borno (N8.29bn), Kano (N8.26bn) and Katsina (N7.21bn).

Niger, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Kwara, Delta, Oyo, Enugu, Cross River, Ogun, Imo, Taraba, Abia, Lagos, Jigawa, Gombe and Benue also recorded varying levels of expenditure.

Meanwhile, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Osun, Rivers and Yobe recorded no expenditure under the listed security categories contained in the available budget performance reports.

Spending Soars Over 2025 Figures

The data showed that overall security spending increased dramatically compared with the corresponding period in 2025. Combined expenditure rose from N75.84 billion in 2025 to N252.26 billion in 2026—an increase of more than 232 per cent.

On a like-for-like comparison involving 22 states with available figures for both years, spending increased from N75.84 billion to N144.44 billion, representing a 90.5 per cent rise.

Security votes and homeland security operations accounted for the largest increase, rising from N47.67 billion to N135.61 billion.

Expenditure under ministries of security and special advisers climbed from N14.95 billion to N42.15 billion, while spending on security equipment reached N37.08 billion.

States also spent N26.89 billion on homeland security personnel, while security trust fund allocations increased from N6.82 billion to N10.53 billion.

The top five spending states (Kogi, Plateau, Bauchi, Bayelsa and Ekiti), accounted for approximately N112.15 billion, representing 44.8 per cent of all security expenditure captured in the report.

Similarly, the top ten states were responsible for almost 67 per cent of total spending, highlighting a heavy concentration of security financing among a relatively small number of states.

State governments ramp up security spending amid persistent kidnappings, banditry and violent attacks across Nigeria.

Rising Budgets, Persistent Violence

Despite the unprecedented expenditure, insecurity remained widespread across the country.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) disclosed that its Human Rights Observatory documented 651 kidnapping incidents and 492 killings between January and March 2026, with the North-Central, North-West and North-East remaining among the most affected regions.

A separate report by SARI Global revealed that 792 people were killed in 882 security incidents during June alone across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Official mid-year operational figures also showed that the military and other security agencies conducted about 14,000 operations, killing 1,597 terrorists and insurgents while rescuing 1,516 kidnapped victims during the first half of the year.

The figures have intensified debate over whether increasing security budgets are producing measurable improvements in intelligence gathering, rapid response, crime prevention and the protection of lives and property.

Interestingly, the spending pattern did not always correspond with the intensity of insecurity. For example, states such as Zamfara, Borno, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto and Kebbi, which remain major theatres of banditry and insurgency, collectively spent about N56.04 billion (only slightly higher than what Kogi State alone allocated).

Experts Call For Accountability

Retired Brigadier-General Bashir Adewinbi described the increased allocations as a commendable step, saying governments appeared to be making a more coordinated effort to confront terrorism and violent crime.

He urged Nigerians to allow time for implementation before judging the initiative, noting that dedicated funding could enable governments to acquire modern technology and improve operational capabilities.

However, former Assistant Inspector-General of Police Wilson Inalegwu argued that governors should stop making huge lump-sum allocations without clearly defined policing strategies.

He advocated result-based budgeting, recommending that Commissioners of Police prepare annual policing plans outlining security priorities, required resources and measurable performance targets. According to him, governors should periodically review crime statistics and hold security chiefs accountable for outcomes based on agreed performance indicators.

Inalegwu also called for stronger implementation of community policing as provided under the amended Police Act, insisting that local participation remains critical to effective crime prevention.

Retired Brigadier-General George Emdin said security spending should not be viewed solely through the lens of banditry and kidnapping, stressing that Nigeria’s security threats are multidimensional and require different strategies over time.

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CSOs Demand Transparency

Reacting to the findings, Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), Debo Adeniran, insisted that Nigerians had every right to demand accountability for security allocations.

He questioned whether the funds were reaching frontline personnel, citing repeated complaints by security operatives over poor welfare and inadequate equipment.

Similarly, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, demanded a comprehensive breakdown of how the funds were spent.

He challenged governments to disclose procurements, equipment purchases and projects executed with the allocations, arguing that security spending should produce visible improvements in public safety.

Rafsanjani also urged the Auditor-General for the Federation to audit security expenditure and criticised the National Assembly for what he described as weak oversight of security spending.