A delegation from St Kitts and Nevis, led by the Speaker of its Parliament, Lanein Blanchette, along with officials from the United States Embassy, was admitted into the chamber on Tuesday (today) during plenary as the House of Representatives convened to address Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.
The House is expected to receive a consolidated Internal Assessment covering nationwide security incidents, trends, oversight findings and the implementation status of previous resolutions.
The document also includes evidence-based presentations from committees on defence, national security and intelligence, police affairs, human rights, interior, foreign affairs, women’s affairs, youth development, and emergency and disaster preparedness.
At the end of the sitting, lawmakers are scheduled to adopt a formal resolution outlining agreed actions, timelines, and oversight mechanisms.
‘Nigeria’s Sovereignty Is Not Negotiable’ – Abbas
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, in his opening remarks, reiterated that Nigeria’s sovereignty is not negotiable, even as he acknowledged the country’s longstanding diplomatic relationship with the United States.
Abbas welcomed deeper collaboration with the US on security matters and confirmed that the House is carefully working on the Religious Freedom Accountability Bill. He said both Christian and Muslim communities have suffered violent attacks from terrorist groups.
He further expressed concern over the resurgence of military coups in West Africa, warning that instability in neighbouring countries poses significant risks to Nigeria.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu disclosed that the House would, within the next six months, pass legislation prohibiting ransom negotiations and imposing criminal penalties on government officials who engage in ransom talks or back unstructured amnesty deals with armed groups.
He called for an immediate investigation into allegations that government officials have secretly negotiated with bandits and authorised ransom payments.
Naijaonpoint reports that Tuesday’s meeting followed a series of mass abductions that have sparked national outrage.
In recent weeks, gunmen abducted students and worshippers in Kebbi and Niger states, prompting widespread school closures in parts of northern Nigeria.
Opposition parties and civil society groups have criticised the Tinubu administration for failing to curb the rising wave of insecurity, insisting that the government must prioritise the protection of citizens.
The security situation also attracted international attention last week when the US Congress held a public hearing on former President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
Victims of attacks, lawmakers and others testified about the scale of violence, including mass kidnappings, destroyed communities, and hundreds of deaths recorded over the past few years.
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