Huge Budget, Small Impacts: Again, Zamfara announces billions for internal security in 2025, despite budgeting big but spending poorly in previous years

By Aminu Abubakar

In May 2024, no fewer than 49 persons were reported killed when bandits attacked five villages in Anka local government area of Zamfara state.

According to DailyTrust, eighteen persons were killed in Farar-Kasa village, twenty two were killed in Dangulbi, two in Duhuwa, four in Tsatsomawa and three in Yar Sabaya villages respectively.

In October 2024, the bandits killed multiple travellers and abducted others in Zamfara state.

The incident happened at Tsafe local government area of the state.

Amid all of this chaos, the state government spent far less on its own internal security, given the budget performance for internal security in the state for the 2024 fiscal year between Q1 and Q3.

Between Q1 and Q3, 2024, the state government budgeted N13 billion for capital expenditure of its Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, however, it did not spend any amount between January and September, 2024.

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In the same period, the state government spent N2.8 billion on purchase of motor vehicles, it even spent N189 million on purchase of office fittings and furniture.

Zamfara has a history of budgeting billions of naira for internal security but spending nothing.

In 2023, the capital expenditure budget for internal security in Zamfara state stood at N1.8 billion, for the whole year, the state spent nothing.

In the same year, the state government spent N5.4 billion on purchase of motor vehicles.

In 2022, the state government budgeted N292.5 million for its Ministry of Security and Home Affairs capital expenditure but spent zero naira in the whole year.

In the same year a sum of N103 million was spent on honorarium and sitting allowances by the state government, however N1.5 billion was spent on purchase of motor vehicles.

In 2021, the capital budget for the Ministry of Security and Home Affairs stood at N1.25 billion however for the whole year, the state spent zero naira.

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Another Budget for 2025, Same Zero Hope?

Checks by SolaceBase have shown that in 2025, the state government plans to spend N32.2 billion on its Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs.

The budget breakdown shows that total recurrent expenditure is N19.2 billion while capital expenditure stands at N13 billion.

If historical trends were to be followed, it may mean that the state may spend zero naira from its proposed capital expenditure of N13 billion for 2025.

Interesting while the state government launched a security trust fund earlier in 2024, budget estimates shows that it only wants to spend N1.938 billion on recurrent expenditure for the security trust fund office in 2025, without budgeting any money for capital expenditure.

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Already, Zamfara state has records of high numbers of casualties due to insecurity.

According to Statista, Zamfara state is the second state affected most by terrorists.

According to the data, 6803 deaths have been recorded in the state due to attacks by terrorists only after Borno.

The spending of zero naira on internal security capital needs by the Zamfara State government is also despite repeated promises of ending insecurity in the state by the state government.

The state governor, Dauda Lawal, while inaugurating a security trust fund for the state earlier last year vowed to ensure an end to insecurity in the state, although budgetary data questions his commitment financially.

Interestingly, the state launched a security trust fund last year, however only recurrent expenditure was budgeted for the fund in 2025 with no budget for capital expenditure.