Despite insecurity concerns, Jigawa spends N812m on honorarium, refreshments in 3 months — Five times its security votes
By Aminu Abubakar
Despite growing insecurity and repeated attacks across Jigawa State, the state government spent over N812 million on honorariums, sitting allowances, and refreshments within just three months—an amount more than five times its security vote spending in the same period.
According to official documents, N276 million went to refreshments and meals, while N536.2 million was allocated for honorarium and sitting allowances. In sharp contrast, only N152 million was committed to security votes, raising serious concerns about the state government’s priorities amid rising threats to lives and property.
Honorariums are a form of gift, while sitting allowances are usually paid to lawmakers.
Jigawa State has a history of heavy spending on honorarium and refreshments at the detriment of other key needs in the state, aside from security.
For instance, an earlier review of the Jigawa State budget performance document shows that over N1.4 billion was spent on honorarium and sitting allowances between January and September 2024.
In the same period, the state spent N1 billion on the construction and provision of hospitals and health centres.
Water facilities provision also took the same amount spent on honorarium and sitting allowances—N1.4 billion.
In 2024, N649 million was spent on security votes, while payments for honorarium and sitting allowances gulped more with a total of N1.4 billion. Refreshments and meals took N626 million. This means both refreshment and meals, and honorarium and sitting allowances, cost N2 billion—more than triple the N649 million spent on security votes.
In the first quarter of 2025, Jigawa witnessed a troubling surge in violent incidents. On March 6, bandits killed three vigilante members and injured another in Ringim Local Government Area. The incident sent shockwaves through the community, heightening fears over the fragility of grassroots security arrangements.
In response to escalating threats, the Hadejia Emirate Council, in collaboration with local governments including Malam Madori and Kirikasamma, announced stringent measures to combat insecurity. This included the imposition of a midnight to 4 a.m. curfew, agreed upon by local stakeholders and security officials.
Further unrest occurred in June, when unknown gunmen invaded the Dumus community in Birnin Kudu Local Government, injuring several residents during a nighttime assault. Security expert Bakatsine, commenting on the incident, stated: “Last night, an unknown armed group invaded the Dumus community in Birnin Kudu LGA, Jigawa State, shooting sporadically.”
Amid public anxiety and growing calls for self-defense, Governor Umar Namadi urged citizens to refrain from taking the law into their own hands. Speaking in May, the governor insisted: “The country has not reached that level yet,” in response to advocacy by some leaders for community-driven armed resistance.
Ahmed Ari, chairman of the Hadejia Local Government Security Committee, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating: “The joint session of the stakeholders agreed to establish a curfew from 12:00 am to 4:00 am, effective immediately in all the areas.”
Over time, there have been calls for security within the state to be centred on equipping and training local operatives, including funding technology-driven surveillance, intelligence gathering, and emergency response systems.
As the threat of violence continues to grow, many are calling on Governor Namadi’s administration to re-evaluate its fiscal strategy and redirect spending toward robust, sustainable security interventions.
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