Twice in two years Senate rejects motion to probe military spending

…But delights in security summits

While many are tasking the government with finding lasting solutions to the escalating insecurity in the country, the action of the Senate on Wednesday seemed to be contrary to that appeal.

To their dismay, the Nigerian Senate rejected a motion to probe military spending despite growing concerns over worsening insecurity and massive defence budgets.

Adams Oshiomhole, a senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, who proposed a comprehensive audit of military spending during a recent legislative session, citing the escalating attacks and kidnappings, especially in states like Oyo and Kwara, was also surprised by how he was shouted down by his colleagues.

The June 2026 case was the second time the Senate had rejected a prayer by Oshiomhole to probe the use of funds appropriated to the military to fight insurgency and banditry across the country.
The first was in July 2024, when at plenary, Oshiomhole made a prayer to that effect.

Then, Oshiomhole alleged that some past security chiefs established universities that did not teach anything about security, while the Navy even bought a yacht. But all his prayers have been rejected despite his influence as one of the founding members of the ruling party.

But observers are worried why the Senate does not seem to 8want to tackle security agencies, considering that much has been budgeted, approved and released over the years for the fight against insecurity, yet with little result.

“Why are the huge funds and other foreign support not working for us if they are not diverted into private pockets? Collins Ebiere, a security expert, asked.

“Adams Oshiomhole is right in asking for the probe. He seems to be a lone voice in the senate now”.

Ebiere, a part-time lecturer at Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Amassoma, Bayelsa State, pointed out that it was very hypocritical of the senate to observe a period of silence, prayer and reflection in honour of those killed in the recent attacks, especially the beheaded Oyo teacher, while still rejecting the probe of the institutions empowered by law and funded well-enough to fight off terrorists in the country.

“We, Nigerians, are calling out the military and other security agencies to render account of their spending for jet fighters that are yet to kill terrorists, the ammunition bought, armoured tankers and others just under the Tinubu administration.

“The fund is huge, we keep borrowing to fund the security budget, but there are more deaths every day. It is worth probing by all standards,” he insisted.

Citing the persisting killings in Plateau State, Bulus Pam, an Abuja-based lawyer and human rights activist, noted that Senator Oshiomhole’s call for the probing of military spending is appropriate and timely, especially now that the country is looking for any available solution to the escalating insecurity situation.

“The demand for an audit of military expenditure by Senator Adams Oshiomhole is right. Even if it is just within Tinubu’s administration, it will help in knowing if there is a need to spend more or not because we are not getting results despite the huge budget. I keep losing family members in Plateau every week,” he lamented.

“Our senators cannot live in denial of the fact that funds meant for security have been diverted to build private universities and luxury estates.

“They are only pretending because of the fear of military takeover. We cannot be funding and there is little result and you want taxpayers to keep quiet. We even borrow money to fund insecurity, a debt our unborn children will bear,” he said.

He insisted that the Senate’s rejection of the probe is because it is either benefiting indirectly from kickbacks or is a deal for them not to take over the government.

In the same vein, Alhassan Yari, a serving senior government official, insisted that the lawmakers have a constitutional right and duty to review the utilisation of resources allocated to the armed forces and question the effectiveness of past security spending.

He argued that the many security operations and joint forces launched and relaunched across the country, like the Operation Fasan Yama, the several relocations military bases to terrorism hotbeds, Chief of Army Staff, other service chiefs, among other exercises gulp huge funds, but the little success is recorded after all the troubles and huge funds expended.

“Assessing the effectiveness of security agencies against their huge budget will give one migraine,” Yari said. “But the senate, through its Committee on Defence, can easily do this because it is empowered by law and can also decide to reduce the budget based on its findings from regular probing of the expenditure”.

He insisted that the probe is necessary as civil servants and other Nigerians face the anti-graft when there is need, as well as the fact that innocent people and farmers in Malumfashi, his home town, are being terrorised by bandits, kidnapped and killed often.

“How long will our girls keep being kidnapped and the killing continue in our remote areas because the high and mighty are hiding in the safety of Abuja. Our military should open for senate probe and reclaim their respect and confidence reposed on them. Considering the high hope we placed on the military, we thought that by now, all the terrorists would have been flushed out of our borders, but they are growing in numbers and becoming emboldened now,” Yari regretted.

But Agnes Onche, a retired director in the Ministry of Education and a school proprietress, is calling on other senators to show concern and reintroduce the motion for the probe by Senator Oshiomhole because military budget, according to her, needs to be probed considering the escalating insecurity, yet more funds and more deaths across the country.

“There have been more budgetary allocations to security over a decade now, but the situation is getting worse daily,” she observed.

She queried what security allocations have been used for considering that at least 1,799 students have been seized in a dozen of abduction, after Chibok girls, which is still the largest abduction ever.

If the budgets are well-utilised, she insisted that at least 10 school kidnappings in less than two years that affected over 670 children would have been curbed.

“Are we saying that the budget for security should not be probed when around 19 million Nigerian children, about 27 percent, one of the highest numbers in the world, do not attend school due to the threat of kidnappings?” She asked.

On his part, Kalu Irem, a forensic expert, noted that the call for the probe should be supported by all well-meaning Nigerians because lives are involved as well as safety for everyone, whether in Aso Rock or well-guarded luxury estates in highbrow areas because anyone can be a target now.

“Even if you have relocated your children and all family members abroad, won’t you go for a friend’s daughter’s wedding reception, burial, pollical rally and campaign. The terrorists have severely attacked an armed convoy. So, the military should submit to a senate probe, let us know why our money is not working for us Nigerians in the security fight,” he said.

He argued that the government will end up paying ransom to kidnappers and deny it, yet, it will increase budgetary allocations for security that is meant to tackle abductors and prevent kidnapping, which has become a business now.

“The security agencies complained of the sophisticated weapons of the terrorists, of poor mobility and logistics, welfare and other challenges, the federal government provided all that through yearly improved allocations in the last 10 years.

“But the result does not match the funds expended, rather insecurity keeps escalating every year in deadlier dimensions,” he observed.

He argued further that even in homes, offices and businesses, when things are not working out, one sits back to review and re-strategize with workable solutions.

For him, that is what Oshiomhole is calling for and sadly, the senate rejected it. Who is fooling who? And why can’t the government ask how the funds have been spent considering the unexpected result? He asked.

But Bem Hembafan, a retired senior security officer, called for caution in the call, saying that military spending is not like normal expenditure.

“I am not saying that the huge budgetary allocation to security, especially in recent time should not be probed, but before the audit, specialized training, acquisition of high-level ammunition like the Tuscana, jet fighters and their accompanying agreements with the suppliers are not like buying and selling in the market,” the Benue-born security expert said.

“It involves a lot of non-disclosures, servicing, training and other partnerships stipulated in the purchase agreement. But the military should be able to open their books to senate probes, at least to show them respect and also gain confidence of the people and tax payers that their money is well-utilised”.

Despite any defence for the senate action, many concerned Nigerians are insisting that the budgetary allocations of the military and other security outfits truly need to be probe by the senate and the anti-graft, with anybody found wanting delt decisively by the law as the escalating insecurity challenge in the country can be directly and indirectly blamed on any form of diversion of such funds.

“If funds meant for jet fighters are used for lesser ammunition, or for armoured cars, used for Hilux trucks and for training abroad are used for training at Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) Jaji in Kaduna or National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Jos, they all amount to diversion of fund and are subject to probe,” Yari said.