ABUJA, Nigeria – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has launched a scathing attack on the Bola Tinubu-led administration, accusing it of paying “lip service” to national security after reports emerged that only seven percent of the Nigerian Army’s 2025 equipment budget has been released. This is even as over 400 women and children abducted in Borno State face a looming execution deadline from Boko Haram terrorists.
In a blistering statement issued Tuesday, the ADC described the funding shortfall as “not just disturbing, it is indefensible,” warning that the government’s failure to back its tough security rhetoric with concrete resources has directly emboldened insurgents and left millions of Nigerians exposed to horrific violence.
According to official figures cited by the party, the federal government approved N336.76 billion for army equipment in the 2025 fiscal year. Yet only N16.71 billion, roughly seven percent, has been disbursed. Even more alarming, the ADC noted that nothing has been released for critical logistics, including transport, aircraft fuel, and military barracks maintenance.
“You cannot starve our brave men and women in uniform of the tools they need and expect them to defeat a determined and well-armed enemy,” said Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the ADC. “This is not just a budgeting failure. It is a failure of leadership.”
The party drew a direct, harrowing line between the underfunding and the escalating hostage crisis unfolding in Ngoshe, Borno State. Reports indicate that Boko Haram insurgents have demanded a ₦5 billion ransom for the release of over 400 abducted women and children, issuing a 72-hour ultimatum and threatening to “disperse the victims forever” if the government fails to comply.
“When only a fraction of security funds is released, when nothing is provided for logistics like mobility and fuel, and when equipment procurement is delayed, the result is predictable: a weakened security system,” Abdullahi said. “And when the state looks weak, those who threaten it grow stronger — with devastating consequences for ordinary Nigerians.”
The ADC further accused the presidency of grotesque double standards, pointing to what it called the “luxurious presidential air fleet enjoyed by President Tinubu and his immediate family”, reportedly fully funded, while military aircraft remain grounded for lack of fuel and spare parts.
“A government that releases only seven percent of security equipment funds, and nothing for critical logistics, cannot claim to be serious about winning the war against terror,” the statement read. “Nigeria does not lack resources. What we lack is the discipline to put those resources where they matter most.”
The party called on the federal government to act with “urgency, clarity, and resolve” to secure the safe return of the abducted women and children, while demanding a fundamental overhaul of security budgeting, treating defense funding as a “first-line responsibility,” not an afterthought.
As of press time, the Ministry of Defence and the Office of the National Security Adviser had not responded to requests for comment. The Nigerian Army also declined to confirm the specific budget figures cited by the ADC.
But for the families of the 400 captives in Ngoshe, and for millions of Nigerians living under the shadow of insurgency, the ADC’s message was stark: promises do not stop bullets, and seven percent funding does not save lives.
Facebook Comments