Security Spending: Lawyer Drags NSA, Defence Ministry, Others To Court

Mr. Osaze Agbonifo, an Abuja-based lawyer, has dragged the
National Security Adviser (NSA), Ministry of Defence, Department of
State Security (DSS) and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to
court, seeking an order restraining the release of security
spending details to the public.

Other respondents in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/159018, are the
Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Police
Force and the Nigerian Immigration Service.

By the suit filed at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja,
the plaintiff is asking the court to refuse the request to make
available to the public details of security spending in the war
against insurgency.

The suit dated December 20th, 2018, was filed by Oghenovo Otemu,
on behalf of the plaintiff.

Agbonifo told the court that releasing security spending to the
public will breach the provision of Freedom of Information Act.

A civil society organisation, Global Integrity Crusade Network,
had applied for the release of security spending on insurgency in
the North East of Nigeria under the Freedom of Information Act.

But reacting to the development, the civil rights lawyer said
disclosing such to any unauthorized body will be a breach of the
provision of the Freedom of Information Act and not in the interest
of the country’s image.

The plaintiff wants the court to grant an order restraining the
respondents from releasing details of security spending to any CSOs
acting under the FOI Act.

The plaintiff in the suit asked for an order restraining the
respondents from releasing or furnishing Global Integrity Crusade
Network or any civil society organization, persons or entities that
have applied for any for any information relating to OR connected
with the world against insurgency in the North East Under the FOI
Act.

He also prayed the court not to allow the respondents release
the following information:
“The amount received as budgetary allocations from the federal
government of Nigeria for counter terrorism operation in the year
2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively.

“The list of security hardware and equipment procured for
counter terrorism operations in the year 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018
so we can confirm, if the approved budgetary allocation were used
for the intended purpose.

“List of contracts awarded, executed on ongoing in 2015, 2016,
2017 and 2018 as well as of list of newspapers, journals and other
media outfit wherein the bidding exercise for the said contracts
were published to be able us ascertain if the the procedure laid
down in the Public Procurement Act No. 65 of 2007 were duly
followed.

“The breakdown of coat expended by your office on personnel
running in the year 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 to enable us
ascertain if more that one third of the budgetary allocation meant
for counter terrorism operations was not used for payment of
allowances to only top management staffer.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

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