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 by The PUNCH of documents obtained from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) showed that the government received N5.65tn into a dedicated special intervention account during the period, with N5.15tn, representing 91.15 per cent, already disbursed.
The funds were sourced from the Federation Account and other government revenue streams, including non-oil revenue and transfers from the 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 presented to the Technical Sub-Committee of FAAC at 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 total receipts were recorded across 33 funding transactions.
The special intervention funds were separate from regular annual budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Defence and other security institutions.
However, the ledger did not provide details of the specific military operations, equipment purchases, personnel expenses or security projects financed through the funds.
Military funding increased significantly in 2026
The intervention programme began with a N100bn transfer on October 19, 2023, representing the September 2023 allocation.
The first N100bn payment was made to the military on November 8, 2023, followed by another N100bn transfer in November, which was disbursed in December.
By the end of December 2023, the account had received and disbursed N300bn.
The funding arrangement continued throughout 2024, with regular monthly transfers of N100bn to military and paramilitary agencies.
Between January and December 2024, the account received and disbursed N1.2tn, bringing cumulative receipts and payments to N1.5tn.
The same funding pattern continued into 2025. During the first nine months of that year, the government received and disbursed another N900bn, bringing cumulative payments to N2.4tn by September 1, 2025.
However, the scale of the intervention increased considerably in 2026, with individual transfers rising from the previous N100bn monthly pattern to between N200bn and N500bn.
On March 18, 2026, the government transferred N200bn from the FAAC Withheld Account.
Another N250bn was transferred from non-oil revenue on May 18, while N130bn was paid to security agencies from the withholding account on May 25.
The records also showed that a N400bn transfer from non-oil revenue on June 16 was reversed and replaced with a fresh N500bn transfer on the same day.
A corresponding N500bn payment was made to military and paramilitary agencies.
The government subsequently transferred and disbursed another N500bn in July, while a similar amount was transferred and paid out in August.
On September 16, another N500bn was transferred from non-oil revenue, with the corresponding payment recorded on September 23.
A further N500bn transfer was recorded on October 14 as the September 2026 allocation.
N500bn remains in intervention account
The FAAC records 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.
Payments recorded in 2026 amounted to N2.75tn, representing a 129.17 per cent increase compared with the N1.2tn disbursed in 2024.
The N2.75tn released in 2026 accounted for 53.40 per cent of the total N5.15tn disbursed since the programme began.
The government also disbursed more under the intervention programme in 2026 than the combined N2.4tn released 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 followed the latest N500bn transfer, which had not been matched by a corresponding payment in the ledger.
Despite the substantial financial commitment, Nigeria continues to face security challenges across several regions.
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 threaten communities in the North-West and North-Central regions.
Attacks by armed groups have also resulted in deaths, displacement and disruption of farming and other economic activities.
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 security threats.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed this on Thursday during the inauguration of a committee tasked with reviewing the existing framework and producing the National Security Strategy 2026.
Represented by Major General Sarkin Bello (retd.), Ribadu said Nigeria’s security environment had changed significantly since the last review in 2019.
He identified terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, cybercrime, misinformation, economic challenges, food insecurity and environmental threats among the issues requiring attention.
According to him, the new strategy will provide a framework for coordinating national security, resilience and sustainable development while reflecting present realities and anticipating future threats.
The Deputy Chairman of the committee, Major General Evi Onumajuru (retd.), also stressed the need for strategic realignment.
He said traditional security threats had become increasingly connected with non-kinetic challenges, including cybercrime, economic vulnerabilities, food insecurity and climate change.
Onumajuru added that the strategy must integrate the priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda by connecting economic prosperity and good governance with human security and national defence.
