The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) has raised serious concerns about the deteriorating security situation across Nigeria and the alleged misuse of government security institutions and funds for political purposes.
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The environmental and human rights organisation issued a statement on July 24, 2025, highlighting what it describes as the growing abuse of security agencies by the executive branch of government. According to the organisation, security institutions originally established to protect citizens are increasingly being used to intimidate civil society groups, harass opposition figures, and suppress peaceful protests.
The advocacy group pointed to escalating violence across multiple regions of the country, citing terrorism in the Northeast, banditry in the Northwest, herder-farmer conflicts in the Middle Belt, and separatist tensions in the Southeast. FENRAD argued that despite repeated government assurances, effective and lasting solutions have not been implemented.
A key focus of FENRAD’s concerns involves what it calls the mismanagement of security votes – special funds allocated to federal and state executives for addressing security challenges. The organisation claims these funds, which can amount to billions of naira annually, lack proper oversight and transparency.
“Security votes are not subject to legislative oversight or public audit, and in many instances, they have become slush funds for personal enrichment or political patronage,” the statement read. FENRAD argues this lack of accountability undermines genuine security efforts while diverting resources from social development programmes.
The organisation also highlighted the absence of adequate social protection systems for vulnerable Nigerians. With rising inflation, youth unemployment, limited healthcare access, and food insecurity affecting millions, FENRAD contends that successive governments have failed to establish robust social security frameworks.
FENRAD’s Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, called for what the organisation terms “a rewriting of rights” to include economic, environmental, and social protections alongside traditional civil and political liberties.
The group has issued specific demands to various stakeholders:
– Government executives should end the alleged politicisation of security agencies and ensure transparent management of security funds.
– Legislators should pass laws mandating oversight of security spending and prioritising social protections in national budgets.
– Anti-corruption agencies should investigate and audit security vote usage at the state and federal levels.
– Civil society and media should continue monitoring power misuse and corruption.
– Citizens should organise to demand accountability and systemic reforms.
The statement concluded with an assertion that Nigeria is at a critical juncture, calling for immediate action toward what FENRAD describes as “a just, secure, and inclusive nation.”
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