The Federal Government has disbursed N5.15tn in special intervention funds to the Nigerian military and other security agencies between November 2023 and September 2026, as the country continues to battle terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other security threats.
An analysis of Federation Account Allocation Committee documents obtained by The Punch on Thursday showed that N5.65tn was paid into a dedicated special intervention account during the period, with N5.15tn, representing 91.15 per cent of the total receipts, already disbursed.
The funds were sourced from the Federation Account and other government revenue streams, including non-oil earnings and transfers from a FAAC withholding account.
The document, titled Ledger of Special Intervention Programme for Nigerian Military September, 2026, was prepared by the Federation Account Department of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
It was among the financial records presented to the Technical Sub-Committee of FAAC during its meeting in Abuja on October 14, 2026.
According to the records, the N5.15tn was released through 30 payment transactions between November 8, 2023, and September 23, 2026, while the account received funds through 33 separate transactions.
The intervention payments were separate from the regular annual budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Defence and other security institutions.
However, the ledger did not specify how much was spent on individual military operations, equipment procurement, personnel expenses or specific security projects.
Breakdown of military intervention funds
The programme began with a N100bn transfer on October 19, 2023, identified as the September 2023 allocation.
The first payment of N100bn to the military was recorded on November 8, 2023. Another N100bn was received on November 20 and disbursed on December 20.
By the end of December 2023, total receipts and payments had both reached N300bn, leaving no outstanding balance.
The funding arrangement continued throughout 2024, with monthly transfers of N100bn and corresponding payments to military and paramilitary agencies.
Between January and December 2024, the account received N1.2tn and disbursed the same amount, bringing cumulative receipts and payments to N1.5tn.
Although the transfers were generally recorded as monthly allocations, the dates on which funds were received and disbursed did not always correspond with the months for which they were intended.
For example, the January 2024 allocation was transferred on February 27, while its corresponding payment was made on March 1.
The programme entered another phase in July 2024, beginning with a N100bn transfer on July 27. The arrangement continued into 2025, maintaining the monthly N100bn funding pattern.
During the first nine months of 2025, the account received and disbursed N900bn, bringing cumulative payments to N2.4tn by September 1, 2025.
The figures showed that N2.4tn had been released between November 2023 and September 2025 before the government substantially increased the scale of the intervention in 2026.
Increased funding in 2026
The ledger indicated a major change in the funding pattern in 2026, with individual transfers increasing from the previous N100bn monthly arrangement to amounts ranging between N200bn and N500bn.
On March 18, 2026, the government transferred N200bn from the FAAC Withheld Account, described as savings for March 2026.
This was followed by a N100bn payment to security agencies on March 16, although the payment date preceded the recorded transfer.
On May 18, another N250bn was transferred from non-oil revenue, while N130bn was paid to security agencies from the FAAC Withheld Account on May 25.
The records also showed a N120bn payment to the Consolidated Pool Account II Treasury Single Account on June 3. Unlike most of the other transactions, this payment was not specifically identified as a transfer to military or paramilitary agencies.
On June 16, the government recorded a N400bn transfer from non-oil revenue for May, which was reversed on the same day.
The transaction was subsequently replaced with a fresh N500bn transfer from non-oil revenue.
On that same date, another N500bn was disbursed to military and paramilitary agencies, making it one of the largest individual payments under the programme.
The funding pattern continued in July, with N500bn transferred from non-oil revenue on July 15 and a corresponding payment made to security agencies on July 22.
In August, another N500bn was transferred and disbursed on August 19.
The September transaction followed a similar pattern, with N500bn transferred on September 16 and the corresponding payment recorded on September 23.
The final entry showed another N500bn transfer from non-oil revenue on October 14, 2026, identified as the September 2026 allocation.
Although the document was titled September 2026, the inclusion of the October 14 transaction indicated that it incorporated the latest financial activity presented at the FAAC technical meeting.
2026 accounts for more than half of total disbursements
The financial breakdown showed that the intervention account received N3.25tn in 2026 up to October 14, compared with N1.2tn received throughout 2024.
This represents an increase of approximately 170.83 per cent over the 2024 figure, despite the 2026 records covering only part of the year.
Payments made in 2026 amounted to N2.75tn, compared with N1.2tn in 2024, representing an increase of about 129.17 per cent.
The N2.75tn disbursed in 2026 accounted for 53.40 per cent of the total N5.15tn released since the intervention programme began.
The figures also showed that the amount released in 2026 exceeded the combined N2.4tn disbursed between November 2023 and September 2025.
As of October 14, 2026, the account had an outstanding balance of N500bn, representing 8.85 per cent of total receipts.
The balance resulted from the latest N500bn transfer being recorded without a corresponding disbursement in the ledger.
This means the outstanding amount remained in the intervention account rather than having been released to the security agencies.
Despite the substantial financial commitments, Nigeria continues to face security challenges in several parts of the country.
In the North-East, military operations against Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province remain ongoing, while banditry and mass kidnappings continue to affect communities across parts of the North-West and North-Central regions.
Attacks by armed groups have also resulted in deaths, displacement and disruptions to farming and other economic activities in several states.
These challenges have increased pressure on government finances, with significant resources required for military operations, intelligence gathering, logistics and the protection of vulnerable communities.
FG begins review of national security strategy
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has commenced a review of the 2019 National Security Strategy to develop a new framework addressing emerging threats, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, cybercrime, food insecurity and climate change.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed this on Thursday during the inauguration of a committee tasked with reviewing the existing framework and developing the National Security Strategy 2026.
Represented at the event by retired Major General Sarkin Bello, Ribadu said Nigeria’s security environment had changed considerably since the previous review in 2019, making a comprehensive reassessment necessary.
He explained that the country’s security challenges now extend beyond traditional threats to include cybercrime, misinformation, economic difficulties, food insecurity and environmental concerns.
According to him, the new strategy would provide a framework for coordinating national security efforts, strengthening resilience and supporting sustainable development.
He added that the document must reflect current realities while preparing the country for emerging threats.
The committee’s Deputy Chairman, retired Major General Evi Onumajuru, also stressed the need to realign the country’s security priorities to reflect the changing nature of threats.
He noted that traditional challenges such as terrorism, insurgency and banditry had become increasingly connected with non-military threats, including cybercrime, economic vulnerabilities, food insecurity and climate change.
Onumajuru added that the new framework must incorporate the priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda by connecting economic development and good governance with human security and national defence.
Source: The Punch
