Babatunde Fashola, former Lagos governor, says he did not receive any form of security vote during his eight-year tenure in office.

Fashola remarked on Friday during a panel discussion on governance, democracy, and security organised by The Platform.

A security vote is a discretionary allocation provided to state governments for security-related expenditures and is typically not subject to detailed public scrutiny.

Responding to a question on whether security votes, often criticised for being spent without legislative oversight, should be reviewed in light of ongoing discussions on state police and rising insecurity in Nigeria, Fashola said he was unaware whether governors received such funds or their source.

Before Fashola responded, Bukola Saraki, former governor of Kwara, who was also on the panel, argued that the more important issue was ensuring credible elections that produce leaders who would manage public funds with accountability.

However, Fashola maintained that no security vote existed during his administration, noting that security initiatives in Lagos were funded through transparent mechanisms supported by residents and the private sector.

“This security vote thing, whenever I hear some of my colleagues talk about it, I don’t know what it means because I never had it in Lagos,” the former Lagos governor said.

“I was the governor, so I speak for what I know. There was no security vote. All our acquisitions were domiciled in the Ministry of Budget and Planning.

“So, when you say governors received security votes, I don’t know if Governor Saraki got that kind of money. I didn’t get it, and I don’t know where they were getting it from.”

Fashola said his administration held monthly security meetings throughout his eight years in office and relied on data-driven strategies to tackle crime.

“Back in the day, we used to have a monthly security meeting. It was held every first Wednesday of the month for eight years, and I never missed that meeting,” he said.

According to him, Lagos established a security trust fund through which individuals and corporate organisations contributed resources to strengthen security operations in the state.

“The accounts and assets were audited, and every year we came to a town hall like this. We did not just tell Lagosians what we were doing with the resources; we also reported crime statistics and measured changes from previous years to assess our progress,” he said.

The former minister added that crime evolves constantly and requires a combination of security and policy interventions.

He cited Lagos’ early adoption of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) cashless policy as an example of a non-military strategy aimed at reducing armed robbery and kidnapping.

“It wasn’t just a battle won with arms and guns; it was also a battle won with policies,” Fashola said.

“Crime is very dynamic. As you win one battle, a new crime emerges. It doesn’t end. That is the unending work of all the people responsible for securing society.”

President Bola Tinubu has issued one of his strongest warnings yet to bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terrorism, declaring that those who continue to threaten Nigeria’s peace and security will face the full force of the law.

In a hard-hitting nationwide Democracy Day broadcast message on Friday aimed at criminal elements across the country, the President said the window for surrender and repentance would not remain open indefinitely.

“To bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror: Surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State,” Tinubu said.

“These windows of surrender will not remain open forever. No mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians.”

His comments come amid recurring debates over the identity of criminal groups and concerns that insecurity could deepen ethnic divisions in the country.

However, even as he vowed decisive action against perpetrators of violence, Tinubu cautioned Nigerians against politicising insecurity or attaching criminality to any ethnic group.

“At a time like this, let us not assign blame or point fingers. Crime has no ethnicity,” the President said.

Rather than succumb to mutual suspicion, President Tinubu urged Nigerians to unite against a common enemy.

“We must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history,” he declared.

The President expressed confidence that Nigeria would ultimately overcome its security challenges and emerge stronger.

“We will triumph over terror and continue to build a more prosperous nation,” he said.

Even as he vowed decisive action against criminal elements, the president cautioned Nigerians against ethnic profiling and divisive narratives.

“At a time like this, let us not assign blame or point fingers. Crime has no ethnicity,” he said.

He urged citizens to remain united in confronting a common threat, insisting that terrorism and banditry would eventually be defeated.

“We must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history,” the President declared.

“We will triumph over terror and continue to build a more prosperous nation.”

Tinubu also framed the country’s current moment as a defining chapter in Nigeria’s national journey, calling on citizens to rise to the responsibilities of their time.

“Every generation has a defining responsibility. The generation of our founding fathers secured independence, and the generation of June 12 secured democracy. Our generation must secure prosperity,” he said.

In a rallying call for national renewal, the President urged Nigerians to reject pessimism and embrace a shared vision of progress.

“Let us move forward together—rejecting division, cynicism, and despair; embracing unity, hope, and confidence,” Tinubu said.

“Let us build a Nigeria united by a common purpose, strengthened by diversity, where justice is accessible, liberty is secure, and opportunity is abundant.”