The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence has decried the appalling level of funding of security agencies in the country.

Chaired by Mr. Ahmed Satomi, the committee called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the Minister of Finance to ensure the full release of the 2024 capital allocation to the security and intelligence sector in the overall interest of the nation’s security.

Satomi (APC, Borno) said it is regrettable that capital allocation to some of the intelligence agencies has not been released, while releases to others have not been encouraging.

Satomi said that even though there is an appreciable allocation to the security sector, the intelligence subsector has been grossly underfunded, adding that the committee will look for ways to ensure an increase in the budget to the sector.

Agencies at the budget defence include the Officer of the National Security Adviser, Directorate of State Services, National Intelligence Agency, Presidential Air Fleets, National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), National Counter Terrorism Centre and the National Cybercrimes Coordination Centre.

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Satomi emphasize the importance of collective efforts in ensuring the security and welfare of Nigerian citizens, adding that the Committee’s oversight jurisdiction encompasses critical agencies that play a vital role in maintaining national security,

According to him, everyone must ensure that they are adequately equipped to discharge their mandates in a responsible and accountable manner.

He recalled that the President presented the 2025 budget of N49.7 trillion to a joint session of the National Assembly with an expected revenue of N36.35 trillion and a budget deficit of N13.39 trillion.

While commending the President for allocating about N4.91 trillion to the Defence and Security sector thus underscoring the priority accorded to security in the 2025 Budget, he lamented that the intelligence subsector appears grossly underfunded.

According to him, the intelligence subsector was allocated N595,024,943,368 billion out of which the proposed capital expenditure allocation is N274,550,298,453.00, overhead allocation receiving N107,963,187,783 while personnel cost got N212billion.

He said “It is imperative to note that the 2025 Budget is christened the “Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity.” Securing peace presupposes that a lot of engagements with citizens will be undertaken by the government at all levels.

“Deradicalization, disarmament, rehabilitation and reintegration programs, etc will have to be carried out as a major non kinetic initiative by the Federal government of Nigeria in collaboration with other tiers of government.”