The Senate has suspended its ongoing recess and summoned lawmakers to an emergency plenary session to address growing security concerns and other urgent national issues.
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‎In a notice dated June 15 and signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, senators were directed to reconvene at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on June 23 at 11:00 a.m.
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‎The directive, issued on the instruction of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, stated that the emergency session became necessary due to matters of national importance requiring immediate legislative attention, particularly the worsening security situation across the country.
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‎According to the notice, the special sitting will enable lawmakers to deliberate on critical security challenges and consider measures aimed at addressing them. The Senate also apologised for any inconvenience caused by the sudden recall and urged members to make arrangements to attend.
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‎The decision alters the National Assembly’s earlier timetable. Both chambers had adjourned plenary last week and commenced a recess expected to end on July 7, 2026, to allow lawmakers observe the Democracy Day holiday and engage with constituents.
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‎The emergency recall comes amid heightened concerns over persistent attacks by terrorists, bandits and kidnappers in different parts of the country, as well as increasing calls for stronger security interventions.
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‎The development follows President Bola Tinubu’s recent Democracy Day address, in which he vowed that terrorists, bandits and their sponsors would face the full force of the law unless they surrendered. The President also stated that over 13,000 terrorists had been neutralised within the past year, while noting that the continued captivity of abducted schoolchildren in Oyo and Borno states remains a major concern.
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‎The session is also expected to coincide with ongoing legislative efforts to reform Nigeria’s security framework. Last week, both the Senate and the House of Representatives advanced proposals seeking constitutional amendments that would pave the way for the establishment of state police.
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‎The proposed legislation aims to move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, enabling state governments to establish and manage their own police formations. To achieve this, amendments have been proposed to several sections of the 1999 Constitution, including Sections 197, 214 and 215.
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‎Having already passed second reading in the Senate, the bill is seen as part of broader efforts by lawmakers to find lasting solutions to the country’s security challenges.
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‎The June 23 emergency sitting is expected to provide senators with an opportunity to review the nation’s security situation and consider further legislative responses.
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