…as 98 violent incidents rock Nigeria in one week
By Seun Ibiyemi
The Federal Government spent ₦57.78 billion on security-related projects and operations between January and April 2026, representing a 127.97 per cent increase from the ₦25.35 billion recorded during the same period in 2025, even as insecurity continues to worsen across the country.
Data obtained from the Open Treasury Portal revealed that the expenditure covered defence equipment procurement, security infrastructure, military barracks, police facilities and other security-related projects.
The spending comes amid persistent attacks by terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and armed criminal groups, with security concerns intensifying in several states across the federation.
Analysis of the Treasury data showed that the ₦57.78 billion spent within the first four months of the year represents only 1.24 per cent of the ₦4.66 trillion security budget approved for 2026.
A breakdown of the expenditure indicated that ₦21.39 billion, accounting for about 37 per cent of total spending, was allocated to defence equipment procurement.
Another ₦14.16 billion was spent on security equipment, while ₦5.84 billion went into the construction and provision of military barracks.
The government also expended ₦5.17 billion on police stations and barracks, ₦3.26 billion on the rehabilitation of defence equipment, ₦2.39 billion on defence facilities and ₦2.16 billion on repairs of military barracks.
Additionally, ₦3 billion was spent on security services, while ₦320.94 million was released as security votes.
However, despite the growing security challenges, no expenditure was recorded under the military operations budget line designated for “Operation Lafiya Dole and Other Operations of the Armed Forces,” although ₦500 million was provided for the programme in the 2026 budget.
Similarly, no funds had been released for the kitting of Armed Forces personnel despite a budgetary allocation of ₦2.53 billion.
Compared with the corresponding period in 2025, spending on defence equipment more than doubled from ₦9.48 billion to ₦21.39 billion, while expenditure on military barracks construction rose from zero to ₦5.84 billion.
Despite the increased allocation and spending, implementation rates remained low across several critical security projects, with many programmes recording execution levels below three per cent.
The figures emerged as a recent police security report revealed that no fewer than 98 criminal incidents were recorded nationwide within one week.
According to the report, the incidents included 37 homicide cases, 27 banditry attacks, 24 kidnappings, eight armed robbery incidents and two terrorism-related attacks.
The attacks were reported across several states, including Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Kebbi, involving mass abductions, assaults on rural communities and kidnappings along major highways.
One of the most notable incidents occurred in Zamfara State, where 39 residents were reportedly abducted after travelling into the Fadama Forest to negotiate peace with a notorious bandit leader, Jimo Smally.
In Katsina State, bandits reportedly blocked the Katsina-Kankara highway and intercepted a commercial vehicle carrying 11 passengers. Security operatives later rescued nine victims, while two persons remained unaccounted for.
Reacting to the development, security analyst Lekan Jackson-Ojo described the current situation as the worst security crisis in Nigeria’s history.
According to him, the level of insecurity has severely affected national stability and economic growth, warning that no economy can thrive in an environment plagued by violence and uncertainty.
Jackson-Ojo also criticised the government’s handling of security matters, expressing concern over the deaths of senior military officers and the reintegration of repentant terrorists into society.
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Another security expert, Chidi Omeje, argued that the military remains overstretched despite increased government spending on security.
He noted that the cost of modern military operations is enormous and suggested that financial allocations alone may not be sufficient to address the country’s security challenges.
Omeje stressed that tackling insecurity requires addressing deeper structural issues such as poverty, corruption, poor governance and unemployment, which he said continue to fuel criminality.
He also cited porous borders and instability across the Sahel region as major contributors to the security crisis, urging the government to adopt a more comprehensive and proactive strategy.
The latest figures underscore the widening gap between increased security spending and the persistent wave of violent attacks across the country, raising fresh concerns over the effectiveness of current security interventions and the pace of budget implementation.
