Imagine Nigeria’s public security financing as a rambling, poorly audited ledger. On one side, enormous sums are recorded under vague headings – “security vote", "miscellaneous", and “special services” – with little trace of what they actually buy. On the other side, the outcomes column is almost blank, leaving room for persistent kidnappings, farmer-herder violence, cult clashes, and a country ranked bottom-ten in security outcomes (2023 World Internal Security & Police Index). The books do not balance.