The Zamfara State Government has strongly refuted a report by Sahara Reporters alleging that the state allocated only N30 million for internal security while spending N3.6 billion on international travels in 2024.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the state governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, described the report as misleading and an example of “yellow journalism.”
He accused the online platform of either failing to review the budget documents diligently or deliberately distorting facts to mislead the public.
Idris clarified that the state’s security spending is comprehensive and distributed across multiple offices, including the Ministry of Internal Security and the Office of the Secretary to the State Government.
He noted that the Ministry of Internal Security alone had spent over N1 billion in 2024, achieving a 104% budget performance.
He further explained that an additional N1.26 billion had been spent under “other services general,” reaching an 80% performance rate, while security votes accounted for over N12.5 billion, representing 72% budget performance.
“In 2024, the Zamfara State Government spent N500 million to acquire security equipment for operations. This information is included in the same document shared by Sahara Reporters, which the platform opted to ignore,” the statement read.
Idris criticized Sahara Reporters for allegedly misrepresenting the N30 million administrative allocation as the total expenditure for internal security.
“This is a disgrace and an affront to journalism, a noble profession that values factual reporting,” he added.
He urged the public to verify information from the official Zamfara State Government website, emphasizing that the administration had spent a total of N14.35 billion on security in 2024, contrary to the figures reported by Sahara Reporters.
“The only reason we are responding to such sensational journalism is to set the record straight and protect the public from false news,” Idris concluded.
