Security Matters Not for Open Market, Akpabio Tells Senate On US Airstrikes

The Senate has postponed open debate on the December 25 United States (US) airstrikes on terrorist enclaves in Sokoto State.

In a ruling, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, said the Senate’s privilege had not been breached and that the matter would be considered in a closed session.

Akpabio said matters of national security are not usually discussed in open plenary, noting that lawmakers had been briefed that the operation was carried out with the concurrence and collaboration of Nigerian security agencies.

He assured senators that a closed-door briefing would be arranged to provide comprehensive details of the incident, stressing the need for discretion in security-related discussions.

“Security is not something we discuss in the open market,” Akpabio said, while commending the senator who raised the issue.

The Senate thereafter deferred the matter pending the closed session briefing.

The ruling followed a Point of Order 9 raised by Senator Abdul Ningi, representing the Bauchi Central Senatorial District, who alleged a breach of Nigeria’s constitutional and legislative authority.

Raising the issue under matters of privilege, Ningi maintained 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 emphasized 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.

According to him, 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 allow 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 criticized the executive arm for what he described as a lack of transparency, insisting that the National Assembly must be fully briefed on all security actions involving foreign forces.

He warned that excluding the legislature from such sensitive decisions could set a dangerous precedent and undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty.

Recall that the strikes followed an announcement by US President Donald Trump, who said the US military had carried out deadly attacks against Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists in northwestern Nigeria.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on December 25, Trump 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.”

The Federal Government, while confirming the strikes, said Nigeria supported the operation and that the attacks targeted terrorist locations. However, the operation generated controversy, with claims that some missiles may have struck wrong targets in parts of Sokoto and Kwara states, and reports indicating that no casualties were recorded in some affected areas.

The Senate is expected to receive a comprehensive briefing from security agencies in a closed session to clarify the circumstances of the operation and its implications for Nigeria’s sovereignty and legislative oversight.