No fewer than 31 state governments spent an estimated N252.26bn on security and the fight against criminality in their respective domains during the first six months of 2026, with Kogi, Plateau, and Bauchi states accounting for the largest share of the expenditure.
An analysis of budget performance reports covering the first and second quarters from January to June 2026, obtained from Open Nigerian States, showed that Kogi topped the list with N34.67bn, representing 13.74 per cent of the total captured spending. Plateau followed with N23.69bn, or 9.39 per cent, while Bauchi spent N22.35bn, representing 8.86 per cent.
Together, the three states expended approximately N80.70bn, representing 32.0 per cent of all security-related expenditure recorded across the federation within the period under review.
The states that recorded security-related expenditures include Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara. In contrast, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Osun, Rivers, and Yobe recorded no expenditure in the listed categories, while no separate entry was provided for the Federal Capital Territory.
The figures cover expenditures across security equipment, homeland security personnel, security votes and operations, ministries of security or special advisers, and security trust funds.
According to the data, total sub-national security spending recorded a sharp increase, climbing by N176.42bn, or 232.6 per cent, from N75.84bn in 2025 to N252.26bn in 2026. On a year-on-year basis for the 22 states with comparative 2025 data, expenditure rose from N75.84bn to N144.44bn, marking an increase of N68.61bn or 90.5 per cent.
Across spending categories, security equipment accounted for N37.08bn, while homeland security personnel received N26.89bn. Security votes and related operational expenses surged by 184.5 per cent, climbing from N47.67bn to N135.61bn. Allocations under ministries of security and special advisers rose by 181.9 per cent from N14.95bn to N42.15bn, while security trust fund disbursements grew by 54.4 per cent from N6.82bn to N10.53bn.
The surge in spending occurred alongside persistent nationwide security challenges. The National Human Rights Commission disclosed that its Human Rights Observatory recorded 651 kidnapping incidents and 492 killings between January and March 2026, with the North-Central, North-West, and North-East identified among the worst-hit zones. A report by SARI Global indicated that 792 persons were killed across 882 violent incidents nationwide in June alone, while security agencies conducted around 14,000 operations in the first half of the year, neutralising 1,597 terrorists and rescuing 1,516 abducted persons.
Further breakdown of the spending showed Bayelsa ranking fourth with N17.49bn, followed by Ekiti with N14.83bn and Anambra with N13.40bn. Sokoto expended N11.27bn, Ondo spent N10.54bn, Kaduna deployed N10.37bn, Kebbi recorded N10.14bn, and Adamawa spent N9.95bn.
Zamfara recorded N9.07bn, Borno spent N8.29bn, Kano disbursed N8.26bn, Katsina spent N7.21bn, Niger recorded N5.36bn, and Nasarawa deployed N5.18bn. Ebonyi posted N4.72bn, Kwara spent N4.69bn, Delta disbursed N4.63bn, Oyo expended N3.82bn, Enugu recorded N3.46bn, and Cross River spent N2.43bn.
Ogun spent N1.73bn, Imo recorded N1.52bn, Taraba expended N1.38bn, Abia recorded N766.72m, Lagos deployed N615.12m, Jigawa spent N395.33m, Gombe recorded N48.02m, and Benue posted N1.58m.
Compared to the second quarter of 2025, Anambra recorded the largest percentage increase, with its security spending jumping by 60,544.5 per cent from N22.10m to N13.40bn. Plateau recorded a 93.7 per cent increase from N12.23bn to N23.69bn, while Sokoto expanded by 452.3 per cent from N2.04bn to N11.27bn. Bayelsa rose by 91.4 per cent to N17.49bn, Zamfara increased by 1,054.1 per cent from N785.90m to N9.07bn, Kaduna rose by 139 per cent to N10.37bn, and Ondo grew by 104.3 per cent to N10.54bn.
Kwara recorded a 1,385.1 per cent increase to N4.69bn, Adamawa grew by 73.1 per cent to N9.95bn, Delta climbed by 348.9 per cent to N4.63bn, Jigawa rose by 62.6 per cent, Gombe expanded by 129.9 per cent, and Kano rose by 54.3 per cent from N5.35bn to N8.26bn. Conversely, spending dropped in Oyo by 43.5 per cent from N6.76bn to N3.82bn, in Taraba from N2.58bn to N1.38bn, and in Borno from N9.56bn to N8.29bn.
The top five spenders, consisting of Kogi, Plateau, Bauchi, Bayelsa, and Ekiti, accounted for N112.15bn, or 44.8 per cent of total expenditure, while the top ten states represented 66.9 per cent with N157.65bn. States actively contending with severe banditry and insurgency, such as Zamfara, Borno, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, and Kebbi, collectively spent N56.04bn, or 22.2 per cent of the total.
Reacting to the figures, a retired security chief, Brig. Gen. Bashir Adewinbi (retd.), commended the dedication of funds to tackle insecurity, noting that the initiative should be evaluated after full implementation.
Adewinbi said, “It is commendable that they are coming together for the first time to take the bull by the horns. Naturally, while some officials may be sincere, others may not be, and some might have been corrupted along the way. However, we should give them a chance, as an effort of this scale hasn’t been attempted before. They have resolved to allocate funds to combat terrorism and other security threats, even though security votes already exist. How those votes were previously utilised remains a question, but it seems they now recognise that sustainable growth and survival depend on establishing peace and stability.”
He added, “Let us give them a chance and see how things unfold, time will tell. It is a step in the right direction. Many of them likely intend to acquire technology to fight terrorism and set aside dedicated resources to address the crisis properly. We cannot make definitive judgments until we see the implementation. Let us wait and see if the funds are applied as intended. Time will tell, as there is a time for everything.”
A former Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Wilson Inalegwu (retd.), argued against arbitrary lump-sum allocations, urging state governors to adopt result-based budgeting anchored on annual policing plans drafted by Commissioners of Police.
Inalegwu stated, “My position is slightly different. I don’t understand when governors just slam or spend N200bn, whatever amount, on security. I believe in process.”
He explained, “For example, this year, if you were to submit your policing plan in January, you are going to factor the upcoming 2027 national elections, and for those with off-season elections, you factor them. Election is a priority.”
Inalegwu noted, “So, you now sit down. Then you now hold the CP accountable. Every three months, every quarter, the Security Adviser and the Governor will invite the Commissioner of Police: ‘We have seen your policing plan. If we do this and do that, are you going to reduce the crime rate?’ And in the next three months, the Commissioner is invited… We will now begin to study and look at the crime statistics. Then, after three months, the Commissioner comes: ‘We were having 10 cases, and you said if we give you all this, you are going to reduce it to five, for example. Now it has gone to 15. What is happening?’ The Commissioner has an explanation to give. Then you are adopting result-based budgeting.”
He also stressed the implementation of community policing provisions under Sections 113 to 117 of the amended Police Act 2020.
Inalegwu said, “Part of the orientation of new governors is to understand policing. Because in that money you spend, the amended Police Act 2020, Sections 113 to 117 state that Community Policing Committees should be established at every police station, every police divisional headquarters, every police command, and even at the IG level.”
He added, “I would prefer that it is broken down, and then the Governor and the Commissioner of Police are achieving results, bringing the dividends of democracy to their population through careful planning.”
Inalegwu further remarked, “Technology is good, but it is a policing plan that will reveal what you need, that this is what you intend to do, and you are now funding what you need. So when you have a policing plan, technology is there. I told you that where you have some hotspots, you say, ‘Let’s put some cameras there.’ Is that not technology? But what I have done is give you a complete picture of what I think a professional should do. I don’t believe in just slamming money on you. No. Let’s agree, so that when the results are not coming, I’ll say, ‘Commissioner, I did this. You said if you have this, this will not happen.’ That’s all I’m trying to say.”
Also commenting, Brig. Gen. George Emdin (retd.) observed that security expenditure forms part of traditional state provisions that require multifaceted approaches.
Emdin said, “Really, the expenditure is not just because of the bandits and kidnapping. It has been in existence from time immemorial. They call it the security vote. You see, security in Nigeria is multidimensional. You cannot use one tactic or strategy to defeat everyone. To be honest, insecurity cannot be eradicated at once; it takes time because when you deal with one threat, you can then face another.”
Civil society organisations have demanded greater transparency and accountability regarding how the funds are deployed across the country.
The Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, questioned whether allocated funds directly support operatives on the front lines.
Adeniran said, “No matter what you spend on security, no matter how confidential they believe it is, we are not satisfied.”
He noted, “We have the right to ask for accountability. Is the spending going to the right quarters? Are security personnel being well paid?”
He added, “As long as we are not satisfied, it means that the security vote is not worth spending.”
The Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, expressed concerns over potential diversion of public resources under the guise of security financing.
Rafsanjani asked, “Where is the money? Who has taken the money? What procurements were made with these monies? Which equipment did they buy?”
He warned, “Government officials must not use security as a means to siphon money. They cannot use the lives and properties of Nigerians as a means to make more money for personal aggrandisement.”
Rafsanjani also called on the Auditor-General for the Federation to provide a comprehensive breakdown of all security spending and faulted legislative oversight, stating, “Unfortunately, the National Assembly that should be doing oversight have decided to donate their powers and responsibilities away.”
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