Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila over the failure to account for security votes since 1999.
The suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja is seeking leave to apply for judicial review and an order of mandamus to direct and compel Buhari, Ahmed Lawan, and Femi Gbajabiamila to disclose details of allocations, disbursement and spending of security votes by the Federal Government, 36 state governors and 774 local governments between 1999 and 2019.
The suit followed SERAP’s Freedom of Information requests and the respondents’ failure to account for some N241.2 billion of public funds allocated, disbursed and spent yearly as security votes, and the corresponding lack of effective protection of the rights to security and welfare, life and physical integrity of millions of Nigerians.
Others joined as parties in the suit are: Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ahmed Idris, Accountant General of the Federation and Anthony Ayine, Auditor General of the Federation.