By Aminu Abubakar

A SolaceBase review of Kwara State budget document has shown that the state spent more on honorarium and sitting allowances than security votes in the last twenty-seven months.

The state spent N666 million on security votes in the last three years; however, it spent N1.619 billion on Honorarium and sitting allowances in the same period.

Kwara State continues to grapple with persistent insecurity, including a rising wave of attacks linked to a newly emerged terrorist group known as Mahmuda. The violence has prompted growing concern among residents, lawmakers, and security stakeholders across the state.

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According to official budget and expenditure records, Kwara State allocated N350 million annually as security votes between 2023 and 2025. However, the actual disbursement varied each year. In 2023, the state spent N282.1 million out of the budgeted N350 million. More was spent on honorarium and sitting Allowances with a sum of N804.2 million.

In 2024, the expenditure increased to N299.4 million. While the state spent only N299.4 million on Security votes in 2024, it spent N666.6 million on honorarium and sitting allowances in the same period of time.

So far in 2025, the state has spent N85.3 million in the first quarter alone, representing 24% of the full-year allocation. However, more has been spent on honorarium and sitting allowances in the same period, with N149 million spent by the state.

Yet, the financial commitment has seemingly done little to halt a growing wave of insecurity that has affected various parts of the state, particularly rural communities in the northern and eastern regions.

On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, suspected members of the Mahmuda terrorist group reportedly launched another deadly attack in Duruma village, Baruten Local Government Area, killing three villagers in a dawn raid. This is the latest in a string of violent incidents attributed to the group.

In April, the group was also linked to coordinated attacks in Ilesha Baruba and Kemaanji, located in Baruten and Kaiama LGAs, respectively. Reports from local vigilantes and community sources claim that several people, including volunteer security personnel, were killed during the attacks.

Earlier in the year, on January 15, at least five persons were kidnapped in the Odu-Eku Community, Isin LGA. The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued by its spokesperson, SP Toun Ejire-Adeyemi. According to the statement, “The Kwara Police Command is aware of a kidnap incident that occurred at about 0115 hours of 15/01/25 at the Odu-Eku Camp in Odueku Community of the Isin LGA of Kwara State, where five persons were kidnapped. Two males and three females have been moved to an unknown location. Immediate deployment has long taken place; the Police, alongside the Vigilante, are on a rescue mission.”

The sustained attacks have drawn the attention of the Kwara State House of Assembly. During a plenary session held in April and presided over by Speaker Yakubu Danladi Salihu, lawmakers expressed deep concern over the state’s worsening security conditions. Hon. Magaji Oba Abdulkadir, who moved a motion of urgent public importance, warned that Kwara’s longstanding reputation as the “State of Harmony” was at risk. He cited increasing incidents of terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping that have led to the displacement of entire communities in some local government areas.

“From Baruten to Kaiama, Oke-Ero to Isin, our people no longer sleep peacefully. Our communities are being terrorized by criminal elements, and this demands immediate action,” Abdulkadir told the Assembly.

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In response to the growing insecurity, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq undertook a high-level visit to Kaiama LGA on April 21, 2025. Accompanied by top military and police officials, the Governor assessed the security situation in Kemeji and surrounding villages near Kainji National Park, a zone increasingly vulnerable to infiltration by armed groups due to its vast forest coverage.

The state government has not publicly detailed how the security vote funds have been spent, leading to questions about transparency and impact. The funds are typically used for intelligence gathering, support for security agencies, logistics, and emergency response. 

Over time, security experts have warned that there should be a coordinated counterinsurgency plan.

As Kwara enters the second half of 2025, residents are hoping that the state government will reassess its approach to security, even as budget allocations alone appear insufficient to stem the tide of violence. The question on many lips remains: How can Kwara restore its harmony amidst growing chaos?