The Federal Government has released 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 documents obtained online from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) revealed that the government received N5.65tn into a dedicated special intervention account within the period, with N5.15tn already disbursed, representing 91.15 per cent of the total funds.
The records indicated that the intervention programme was funded through allocations from the Federation Account and other government revenue sources, including non-oil revenue 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 documents presented to the Technical Sub-Committee of FAAC during its meeting in Abuja on October 14, 2026.
According to the ledger, the N5.15tn was released through 30 payment transactions between November 8, 2023, and September 23, 2026, while 33 separate transactions accounted for the total funds received.
The special intervention payments were made in addition to the regular annual budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Defence and other security institutions, highlighting the additional financial resources committed to security operations.
However, the document did not specify the military operations, equipment acquisitions, personnel expenses or security projects funded through the intervention programme.
A breakdown of the transactions showed that the programme began with a N100bn transfer on October 19, 2023, representing the September 2023 allocation.
The first N100bn payment to the military was made on November 8, 2023. Another N100bn entered the account on November 20 and was subsequently disbursed on December 20.
By the end of December 2023, total receipts and disbursements had both reached N300bn, leaving no outstanding balance.
The funding arrangement continued throughout 2024, with regular N100bn transfers and corresponding payments to military and paramilitary agencies.
Between January and December 2024, the account received N1.2tn and disbursed the entire amount, taking cumulative receipts and payments to N1.5tn.
Most transactions were documented as monthly allocations under the special intervention programme, although the dates of transfers and payments sometimes differed from the months they covered.
For example, the January 2024 allocation was transferred on February 27, while the corresponding payment was made on March 1.
The ledger also indicated that a second phase of the programme commenced in July 2024, beginning with a N100bn transfer on July 27.
The arrangement extended into 2025, as the government maintained its monthly N100bn funding pattern.
Between January and September 2025, the account received and disbursed N900bn, bringing cumulative payments to N2.4tn as of September 1, 2025.
This showed that N2.4tn had been released under the programme between November 2023 and September 2025, before the government substantially increased the funding in 2026.
The records revealed a significant adjustment to the funding structure in 2026, with individual transfers increasing from the previous monthly N100bn arrangement to amounts ranging between N200bn and N500bn.
On March 18, 2026, the government transferred N200bn from the FAAC Withheld Account, which the ledger described as savings for March 2026.
This followed a N100bn payment to security agencies on March 16, two days before the recorded transfer.
Another N250bn was transferred from non-oil revenue on May 18, 2026, while N130bn was released to security agencies from the FAAC Withheld Account on May 25.
The document further recorded a N120bn payment to the Consolidated Pool Account II TSA on June 3, 2026. Unlike the other transactions, this payment was not specifically identified as a disbursement to military or paramilitary agencies.
On June 16, 2026, the government initially transferred N400bn from non-oil revenue for May but reversed the transaction on the same day.
A fresh N500bn transfer from non-oil revenue was subsequently recorded, suggesting that the earlier transaction was cancelled and replaced.
On that same date, N500bn was disbursed to military and paramilitary agencies, making it one of the largest single payments under the programme.
A similar transaction occurred on July 15, when another N500bn was transferred from non-oil revenue, followed by an equivalent payment to military and paramilitary agencies on July 22.
The pattern continued in August, with N500bn transferred and disbursed on August 19.
On September 16, another N500bn was transferred from non-oil revenue, while the corresponding payment was recorded on September 23.
The ledger’s final entry showed an additional N500bn transfer from non-oil revenue on October 14, 2026, representing the September 2026 allocation.
Although the document was titled September 2026, the inclusion of the October 14 transaction indicated that the financial position reflected the latest transfer presented at the FAAC technical meeting.
Figures from the document showed that the intervention account received N3.25tn in 2026 up to October 14, compared with N1.2tn throughout 2024.
This represented an increase of approximately 170.83 per cent over the total amount received in 2024, despite the 2026 figures covering only part of the year.
Similarly, payments in 2026 stood at N2.75tn, compared with N1.2tn in 2024, representing an increase of about 129.17 per cent.
The N2.75tn disbursed in 2026 also accounted for 53.40 per cent of the total N5.15tn released since the programme began.
The analysis further established that the amount disbursed in 2026 exceeded the combined N2.4tn released between November 2023 and September 2025.
Meanwhile, the intervention account had an outstanding balance of N500bn as of October 14, 2026, representing 8.85 per cent of the total N5.65tn received.
The balance followed the latest N500bn transfer, which had no corresponding disbursement in the ledger.
This means the outstanding amount represented funds remaining in the intervention account rather than money already released to security agencies.
Despite the substantial increase in security funding, Nigeria continues to face security threats in different 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 pose serious concerns in parts of the North-West and North-Central regions.
Several communities across the country have also suffered attacks by armed groups, leading to fatalities, displacement and disruptions to farming and other economic activities.
These challenges have continued to place pressure on government finances, with significant resources being committed to military operations, intelligence gathering, logistics and the protection of vulnerable communities.
FG Reviews 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, announced this on Thursday during the inauguration of a committee tasked with reviewing the existing framework and developing the National Security Strategy 2026.
Ribadu, who was represented by retired Major General Sarkin Bello, explained that Nigeria’s security situation had undergone significant changes since the last review in 2019, making a comprehensive reassessment of national security priorities necessary.
“Our national security landscape is undergoing rapid and profound transformations. Since the last review of our strategy in 2019, the domestic, regional and global security environments have changed dramatically, with intensity,” he said.
He observed that the country was dealing with several security challenges that required a wider and more coordinated strategic approach.
“As you are aware, these problems range from terrorism, banditry and kidnapping to sophisticated cyber threats, misinformation, economic problems, food insecurity and environmental challenges, among others,” Ribadu said.
He explained that the revised strategy would provide a framework for coordinating national security, resilience and sustainable development, stressing that it must address present realities while preparing for emerging threats.
Also speaking, the committee’s Deputy Chairman, retired Major General Evi Onumajuru, said the evolving nature of security threats had made a strategic realignment necessary.
He noted that conventional security challenges such as terrorism, insurgency and banditry were increasingly connected to non-kinetic 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 prosperity and good governance with human security and national defence.