The House of Representatives on Tuesday convened a special plenary session focused on Nigeria’s mounting security concerns, welcoming into the chamber a delegation from St. Kitts and Nevis led by Speaker Lanein Blanchette, alongside officials from the United States Embassy.
The sitting was dedicated to reviewing a consolidated Internal Assessment drawn from multiple committees, detailing nationwide security incidents, emerging patterns of violence, recent oversight findings, and the implementation status of earlier parliamentary resolutions.
Committees overseeing defence, national security and intelligence, police affairs, human rights, interior, foreign affairs, women affairs, youth development, and emergency and disaster preparedness were scheduled to present evidence-backed briefings to guide the House’s deliberations.
At the end of the session, lawmakers are expected to issue a formal resolution outlining specific interventions, implementation timelines, and the oversight framework that will accompany them.
In his opening remarks, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas asserted that Nigeria’s sovereignty “is not up for negotiation,” while emphasizing the country’s longstanding cooperative ties with the United States. He said the House remains open to deeper collaboration with Washington on matters affecting Nigeria’s security systems.
Abbas also revealed that the proposed Religious Freedom Accountability Bill is receiving serious attention in the chamber, stressing that both Christians and Muslims have come under attack from various terrorist groups.
He further noted growing instability in the West African sub-region, pointing to recent military takeovers in neighbouring countries as developments that warrant continuous monitoring and diplomatic engagement.
