Baruten Local Government Council in Kwara State expended over N112 million on local and foreign travels in 2025, while also receiving more than N523 million as security vote within the same period, official financial documents have revealed.
A review of the council’s budgetary and expenditure records showed that a total of N111,305,000 was spent under the “Travel and Transport – General” category out of the N145.2 million approved for the year.
The breakdown indicated that N78,355,000 was used for local travels and transport-related engagements, while N31,700,000 covered additional travel expenses by council officials. An additional N1,250,000 was recorded for foreign trips.
However, the documents did not provide details on the destinations, duration, or purpose of the trips, nor did they identify the officials who benefitted from the travel expenditures.
In addition to travel costs, the council received N523,850,000 under a budget line titled “Security Vote (Including Operations)” within the year under review.
Security votes are discretionary funds allocated to public office holders for security-related purposes and are often criticised for lacking detailed expenditure breakdowns and public accountability.
Despite the substantial allocation, the financial records reviewed did not reflect corresponding investments in security infrastructure such as patrol vehicles, surveillance equipment, communication gadgets, or other crime-prevention tools.
There were also no documented expenditures on community policing initiatives or direct support for conventional security agencies operating within the local government area.
Baruten Local Government Area is among the worst affected by recent terrorist and bandit attacks in Kwara State, raising concerns among observers about the prioritisation of security-related spending in the council’s financial records.
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