The Senate has revealed plans to convene an executive session to brief lawmakers on the United States air strikes carried out on December 25 against terrorist targets in Sokoto State, following concerns raised over the alleged exclusion of the National Assembly from prior discussions surrounding the operation.
The issue was brought before the chamber during plenary under Order 42 (Matters of Privilege) by Senator Abdul Ningi, an opposition lawmaker representing Bauchi Central.
Ningi argued that the air strikes constituted a breach of Nigeria’s territorial integrity and should not have been executed without legislative oversight.
He stressed that the National Assembly, which is constitutionally empowered to play a role in matters relating to national security and foreign military engagement, was not consulted before the strikes took place.
“It is not right. If we begin to dilly dally, it becomes a problem. The leadership of the National Assembly should be briefed by the security agencies on what actually happened. This is a violation of our territorial integrity”.
The senator warned that allowing the executive arm of government to independently approve foreign military operations on Nigerian soil could establish a dangerous precedent.
According to him, such actions may embolden other global powers to carry out similar operations in the future without recourse to legislative involvement.
Responding to the concerns, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said arrangements had already been made to brief senators during an executive session, but the plan could not be carried out as scheduled.
He explained that the closed-door briefing was deferred due to the suspension of legislative activities in honour of the late Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who died on December 31, 2025.
“This is a security matter and we really should not discuss it in the open. We wanted to do it behind closed doors yesterday, but because of Senator Akwashiki, we couldn’t. Your point of order is noted and arrangements will be made to brief senators in a closed session”.
The U.S. air strikes, which took place on December 25, 2025, were reportedly carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities and targeted camps linked to the Islamic State group. The U.S. Africa Command later confirmed that several ISIS fighters were killed during the operation.
What you should know
The planned Senate briefing highlights growing concerns among lawmakers over transparency and legislative oversight in matters involving foreign military actions within Nigeria.
While the U.S. Africa Command confirmed that the December 25 air strikes in Sokoto targeted Islamic State-linked camps in coordination with Nigerian authorities, some senators argue that the National Assembly was sidelined.
The development underscores ongoing debates about constitutional roles, national sovereignty, and the balance of power between the executive and legislative arms in handling sensitive security operations.
