The Senate on Wednesday deferred open debate on the December 25 United States airstrikes on suspected terrorist enclaves in Sokoto State.
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Addressing the matter at Wednesday’s plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio ruled that the matter would be taken behind closed doors in the interest of national security.
Akpabio held that the Senate’s privilege had not been breached, stressing that sensitive security issues were not usually discussed in open plenary.
According to him, lawmakers had already been briefed that the operation was carried out with the concurrence and collaboration of Nigerian security agencies.
“Security is not something we discuss in the open market,” Akpabio said, while commending the senator who raised the issue.
The Senate President also assured members that a comprehensive briefing would be arranged in a closed session to clarify the circumstances surrounding the strikes and address concerns raised by senators, urging restraint and discretion in public discussions on security matters.
Following his ruling, the Senate deferred further consideration of the matter pending the closed-door briefing.
The decision came after Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, raised a Point of Order 9, alleging a breach of Nigeria’s constitutional and legislative authority over the reported airstrikes.
Raising the issue under matters of privilege, Ningi argued that the National Assembly derives its powers from the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, Cap 208, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990, and the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He emphasised that legislative authority resides in the National Assembly, comprising the Senate and the House of Representatives, with responsibility for lawmaking to ensure peace, order, and good governance.
The senator expressed concern over reports that the US military carried out airstrikes on Nigerian soil, describing the action as a violation of Nigeria’s sovereignty and a breach of the United Nations Charter.
Ningi further said the Constitution vests the authority to approve military action solely in the President of Nigeria as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, adding that even the President cannot constitutionally permit a foreign military to independently conduct strikes within Nigeria without legislative engagement and coordination with local security agencies.
“The title of Commander-in-Chief is not ceremonial,” Ningi said. “It confers real authority and responsibility. Nigeria is a sovereign nation, and its territorial integrity must be protected.”
He faulted what he described as a lack of transparency by the executive arm, insisting that the National Assembly must be fully briefed on all security actions involving foreign forces.
The lawmaker warned that sidelining the legislature on such sensitive decisions could set a dangerous precedent and undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty and constitutional order.
The controversy followed a December 25 announcement by US President Donald Trump, who disclosed that the US military had carried out deadly attacks against Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists in north-western Nigeria.
Trump announced this in a post on his Truth Social platform.
H said: “At my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries. Tonight, there was hell to pay.”
While confirming the strikes, the Federal Government said Nigeria supported the operation and that the attacks were directed at terrorist locations.
However, the development sparked controversy amid claims that some missiles may have hit wrong targets in parts of Sokoto and Kwara states, alongside reports that no casualties were recorded in some affected areas.
The Senate is expected to receive a detailed briefing from relevant security agencies in a closed session to clarify the scope of the operation, the level of Nigeria’s involvement, and its implications for national sovereignty and legislative oversight.
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