• Akpabio blocks debate, calls for closed-door briefing
• Ningi: Nigeria risks losing sovereignty over foreign military strikes
• Reps order security operations to flush out bandits in Gombe
• Insecurity: IPCR urges FG to move beyond military solutions
• NAF confirms Niger airstrike incident, orders investigation
• FG to engage retired military personnel to reclaim ungoverned spaces

The Christmas Day U.S. airstrike in Sokoto has reopened debate over sovereignty and constitutional oversight, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio blocking open discussion in favour of closed-door briefings as Senator Abdul Ningi warned of threats to legislative authority.

Raising the matter under Order 9 of the Senate Standing Orders, Ningi said the United States strike against bandits inside Nigeria goes beyond counterterrorism, insisting that it touches the “very soul of the Nigerian state”.

“The most fundamental issue is that the sovereignty of our country has been violated. Our skies have been violated, and that should never be normalised or rationalised,” he told journalists after plenary.

The lawmaker stressed that his intervention was not driven by sympathy for terrorists or criminal groups.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I hate these bandits, and I want them dealt with wherever they are found,” he said. “But two wrongs don’t make a right.”

According to him, neither the President nor any arm of government has the constitutional authority to permit foreign powers to conduct military strikes within Nigeria without legislative involvement.

“The Constitution places on the President the responsibility to protect our territorial integrity. But even the President, under this Constitution, cannot — and I repeat — shall not — direct a foreign power to hit Nigeria from their bases,” he said.

Describing Nigeria as a sovereign nation, Ningi added, “We are not a colony of the United States of America. We are Nigeria — an independent country with defined territory.”

He expressed concern that the National Assembly was neither briefed before nor after the reported operation, despite being a co-equal arm of government.

“This is co-governance, co-responsibility, and co-accountability. Democracy exists because of the National Assembly. If such a serious security decision is taken and the legislature is ignored, then something is fundamentally wrong,” he said.

The senator warned that accepting such actions without objection could expose Nigeria to future violations by other global powers.

“What happens tomorrow if Nigeria takes a stand against the interests of the United States, Russia, China, or France, and they decide to hit us? We have opened a very dangerous precedent,” he said.

Citing international law, Ningi said the alleged strike also raises concerns under global conventions.

“You can read the United Nations Charter. No country is allowed to breach the airspace of another sovereign nation without due process. The way and manner this was done is a clear breach,” he said.

HOWEVER, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, clearly mindful of the security sensitivity of the issue, cautioned lawmakers against turning the chamber into a public arena for classified matters, stressing that national security could not be discussed openly.

“Because it is a matter of security, we really should not discuss it in the open,” Akpabio said. “We should have a closed session so that we will be well briefed.”

Akpabio said the leadership had already received briefings on the incident.

According to him, the operation was conducted with the knowledge and concurrence of Nigerian security services, a point he said had been mischaracterised in public discourse.

As the debate escalated, Akpabio drew a clear procedural line, reminding senators that Ningi had raised a matter of privilege, not a motion for general debate, and therefore did not warrant contributions from other lawmakers.

“I don’t want anybody to contribute. You are debating your issue. No contribution is required,” he ruled.

After reviewing the constitutional provisions cited, the Senate President said the leadership had concluded that no legislative privilege had been breached, even as he acknowledged the seriousness of the concerns raised.

“I have read the section, I understand it, and I was about to let you know that your privilege has not yet been breached,” Akpabio said.

He explained that the Senate’s inability to immediately convene a closed session was due to time constraints arising from the chamber’s first sitting, which had been overshadowed by the death of a serving senator.

Despite this, Akpabio assured lawmakers that a comprehensive briefing would be held at the appropriate time, stressing the need for discretion over public confrontation.

“Security is not something we speak about in the market,” he said, urging senators to allow the leadership to handle the matter responsibly.

NINGI told reporters that he supports international cooperation but only within constitutional and legal limits.

“I also commend collaboration,” he said. “But collaboration must follow due process. It must take place inside Nigeria, with Nigerian forces fully involved.”

He cautioned that bypassing transparency sends a troubling message to citizens.

“If you don’t inform Nigerians and their representatives, you are telling them this is normal. You are questioning the capacity of our armed forces and creating mistrust in government,” he said.

Rejecting suggestions that his stance undermines the fight against insecurity, the senator shared a personal account.

“I am a victim of Boko Haram. My maternal uncle, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, was killed on his farm in Kano three months after retirement,” he said. “Nobody is responsible for his family today. So I have no sympathy for these bandits — anywhere they are.”

He added that his legislative record reflects consistent advocacy against violence across the country, including attacks in Plateau, Kaduna and Makurdi.

On the way forward, Ningi urged the Senate to assert its constitutional role.

“The Senate President must be briefed on all security arrangements,” he said. “When I was House Leader between 2003 and 2007, the National Security Adviser briefed the Speaker weekly. Did we have insecurity then at this scale? No.”

He said the legislature controls security funding and should not be treated as an afterthought.

“We approve the funds. We are accountable to our constituents who are being killed daily. If the executive refuses to talk, who should talk if not us?” he asked.

While acknowledging the pressure on the President, Ningi maintained that leadership must remain firm and constitutional.

“I truly sympathise with him. But he is the President, and he must govern this country. We must not allow others to govern Nigeria for him,” he said.

Reps order joint security operations to flush out bandits in Gombe communities
The House of Representatives has directed security agencies to launch coordinated operations, including aerial surveillance and ground support, to flush out armed bandits terrorising communities in the Akko Local Council of Gombe State.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance yesterday, sponsored by the Chief Whip of the House, Usman Bello Kumo, during plenary presided over by Speaker Abass Tajudeen.

The House called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the Chief of Defence Staff to initiate joint security operations aimed at eliminating the bandits and dismantling their camps.

Lawmakers observed a minute of silence in honour of victims of the attacks and directed the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to deploy Mobile Police Force squadrons to maintain law and order and ensure sustained patrols in the affected communities.

They also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to provide immediate relief materials to displaced residents.

In addition, the House mandated its Committees on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Defence, Army, Air Force, Police and Legislative Compliance to monitor implementation of the resolutions and submit weekly reports until security is fully restored.

Moving the motion, Kumo said protecting lives remains a constitutional duty, citing Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that the security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government.

He expressed concern over recent attacks on Garin Galadima, Pindiga, Garin Jaji, Laro and other communities in Akko, which reportedly left six people dead, 20 others abducted and led to widespread destruction of property, with dozens of residents displaced.

Kumo, a former chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs in the 9th Assembly, described the attacks as “inhumane and unacceptable”, warning that the House would hold security agencies accountable for timely action to prevent further loss of lives and property.

IPCR urges FG to move beyond military solutions to insecurity
The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has urged the Federal Government to adopt cooperative and inclusive approaches to Nigeria’s security challenges, warning that military responses alone cannot deliver lasting stability.

The call was made yesterday in Abuja at the ‘Advancing Knowledge Exchange Seminar’ organised by The Contemporary World Nigeria Magazine, where policymakers, scholars and security experts examined Nigeria’s position “between conflict and cooperation” in a changing global order.

Speaking at the event, the Director General of IPCR, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, said Nigeria was operating in a complex global environment marked by shifting power dynamics, economic uncertainty and evolving security threats, making it necessary to rethink traditional approaches to stability.

“This seminar provides a critical space to interrogate Nigeria’s conflict landscape, reassess existing policy frameworks, and explore cooperative pathways that align national priorities with regional and global realities,” Ochogwu said.

He explained that stability should no longer be viewed simply as the absence of conflict, adding that true stability involves inclusive governance, economic opportunity and constructive international engagement.

Ochogwu said Nigeria must balance the reality of conflict with opportunities for cooperation, urging the country to transform its vulnerabilities into platforms for resilience and partnership.

“Our focus is to strengthen the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s 4Ds Foreign Policy Doctrine,” he said, calling on participants to move beyond diagnosis and propose practical solutions that can reposition Nigeria as a stabilising force in Africa.

In his keynote address, Prof Istifanus Zabadi of Bingham University said Nigeria’s stability must be reimagined in light of changes in the global system, including declining trust in multilateral institutions and the rise of transnational security threats.

According to him, stability can no longer be reduced to the use of force or the state’s capacity to impose order through military means.

“Stability must encompass legitimacy, political inclusion, institutional resilience and the ability to manage diversity without violence,” Zabadi said.

He recalled Nigeria’s historic leadership role in Africa, including its stance against apartheid and peacekeeping efforts through ECOWAS, but said persistent internal conflicts and economic decline have weakened the country’s ability to project stability beyond its borders.

Zabadi cited insurgency in the North-East, farmer-herder conflicts, banditry in the North-West, resource-related tensions in the Niger Delta and rising urban youth violence as evidence of a layered and complex conflict environment.

“These conflicts are rooted in political exclusion, economic grievances and social fragmentation, which military responses alone cannot resolve,” he said.

He warned that over-reliance on force can deepen grievances, alienate communities and strengthen armed non-state actors, particularly where trust in the state is weak.

While acknowledging the role of security forces, Zabadi said cooperation remains an undervalued asset in Nigeria’s security strategy, noting that traditional institutions and local negotiation mechanisms have helped resolve conflicts that might otherwise have escalated.

NAF confirms Niger airstrike incident, orders investigation
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has acknowledged the loss of lives and injuries recorded during airstrikes in Niger State, expressing deep concern for all those affected.

NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said in a statement yesterday that the operations were carried out on January 25, 2026, in Kurigi village, Kontokoro District, Mariga Local Council of Niger State.

While reaffirming that the protection of non-combatants remains central to its operations, the air force said it has commenced an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the reported incident.

Ejodame said that over the past year, NAF has consistently applied its Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response – Action Plan (CHMR-AP), embedding civilian protection considerations into all phases of operations while strengthening training, procedures and safeguards aimed at minimising harm.

“In line with this commitment, the NAF has activated a Civilian Harm Accident and Investigation (CHAI) team to commence an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the reported incident.

“Guided by the principles of accountability, responsibility, and transparency, the NAF assures Nigerians of its unwavering resolve to take responsibility where required, implement necessary improvements, and safeguard innocent lives, while continuing to defend the nation with professionalism, restraint, and respect for the trust placed in it by the Nigerian people,” the statement said.

FG to engage retired military personnel to reclaim ungoverned spaces
The Federal Government has announced plans to engage retired military personnel to reclaim ungoverned spaces and strengthen national security.

The move followed the inauguration of an 18-member committee by the Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Musa (retd.), on Reclaiming Ungoverned Spaces for Economic Viability and the Repositioning of the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires and Veterans, at the Ministry of Defence in Abuja.

According to a statement by the Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Enderline Chukwu, Musa was represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary, Richard Pheelangwa.

Musa said the repositioning of the Nigerian Legion forms part of the Federal Government’s broader commitment to ensure that veterans who served the nation with honour are not left behind, but are empowered to live dignified and productive lives after service.

The minister described the initiative as a deliberate and strategic policy intervention aimed at addressing long-standing structural and operational challenges that have limited the contribution of the defence community to national development.