US airstrike in Sokoto: Security not something to talk about in market, senate getting closed-door briefing soon – Akpabio

Senate President Godswill Akpabio says lawmakers will receive a closed-door briefing on the United States air strike on terrorist hideouts in Sokoto state.

In December 2025, the United Stateslauncheda fusillade of air strikes on ISIS terrorists in the north-western state.

Akpabio spoke on Wednesday during plenary after Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central, raised a matter of privilege over the operation.

Ningi warned that any foreign military strike carried out on Nigerian territory without due constitutional process would amount to a breach of Nigeria’s sovereignty and the authority of the national assembly.

He said the issue required immediate attention, noting that legislative powers are vested in the national assembly under the 1999 constitution.

The legislator added that the legislature is empowered to make laws for the “peace, order, and good government of the federation”.

Ningi described the strike as “a complete violation” of the Nigerian constitution and a “complete breach of the United Nations Charter”.

He said only the president, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, is constitutionally empowered to authorise military action within Nigeria.

“The title of commander-in-chief of the Nigerian armed forces is not ceremonial, it is not a guy thing,” he said.

“It is to give the president such powers to control the armed forces and give them order.”

He argued that even the president does not have the power to invite a foreign military to independently carry out strikes in Nigeria.

“Even the president himself cannot and shall not under this constitution ask a foreign power from any part of the country to hit into Nigeria,” he said.

Ningi said foreign forces could only operate in alignment with Nigerian troops, who must retain operational control.

He criticised the executive for what he described as silence on the matter, insisting that the legislature had a duty to speak regardless of intentions or outcomes.

“The executive acts but the legislature must talk. This assembly has a core responsibility in governance; this assembly has a core accountability in governance; this assembly is not an appendage of the executive,” he said.

Responding, Akpabio cautioned against debating the issue in open session, noting that Ningi raised a matter of privilege rather than a motion for general debate.

“I don’t want anybody to contribute, and you have gone ahead to argue your issue. You are debating your issue; no contribution is required,” he said.

Akpabio said the matter involved sensitive security concerns that should not be discussed publicly.

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

Akpabio said the senate leadership had already received a briefing on the incident.

“Just like you read on the pages of newspapers that the attack you are referring to happened in Sokoto, it happened with the concurrence and the collaboration of the Nigerian security service. We have also been so briefed,” he said.

Akpabio assured lawmakers that the senate would be properly briefed at the appropriate time.

“Security is not something that we speak in the market, but your point of order is noted,” he added.