THE Senate has announced plans to convene an executive session to brief lawmakers on the United States air strikes carried out on terrorist targets in Sokoto State on December 25, following concerns over the alleged exclusion of the National Assembly from prior consultations.
News Point Nigeria reports that the decision followed a point of order raised during plenary on Tuesday by Senator Abdul Ningi, an opposition lawmaker representing Bauchi Central, who argued that the operation raised serious constitutional and sovereignty issues.
Raising the matter under Order 42 (Matters of Privilege), Ningi contended that the air strikes constituted an infringement on Nigeria’s territorial integrity and should not have been conducted without the knowledge and involvement of the legislature.
He maintained that the National Assembly has a constitutional role in matters relating to national security, defence, and foreign military engagements, adding that lawmakers were completely left out of discussions before the operation was carried out.
“It is not right. If we begin to dilly-dally, it becomes a serious 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,” Ningi said.
The senator cautioned that allowing the executive arm of government to unilaterally approve foreign military operations within Nigeria could set a dangerous precedent, warning that other global powers might feel emboldened to carry out similar actions without legislative oversight.
Responding to the concerns, Senate President Godswill Akpabio assured lawmakers that arrangements had already been made for a closed-door briefing on the matter, but that the session could not hold as scheduled.
Akpabio explained that the executive briefing was postponed due to the suspension of legislative activities in honour of the late Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who passed away on December 31, 2025.
“This is a security matter and it should not be discussed in the open. We intended to brief senators in an executive session yesterday, but because of the demise of Senator Akwashiki, we could not proceed,” Akpabio said.
“Your point of order is noted, and arrangements will be made to brief senators in a closed session,” he added.
The United States air strikes, carried out on December 25, 2025, were reportedly conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities and targeted camps linked to the Islamic State group in Sokoto State.
The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that several ISIS fighters were killed during the operation, describing the strikes as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts in the region.
