Senate recalls members from recess over rising insecurity

The Senate has suspended its ongoing legislative recess and summoned lawmakers for an emergency plenary session to address pressing national issues, particularly the rising insecurity across the country.

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 Tuesday, June 23, at 11:00 a.m.

The notice, issued on the directive of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, stated that the emergency sitting was necessitated by matters of urgent national importance requiring immediate legislative attention.

“The purpose of this emergency sitting is to enable the Senate to consider matters of urgent national importance, particularly issues relating to national security and other critical concerns that require immediate legislative attention,” the notice read.

The Senate also apologised for any inconvenience the development might cause and urged all lawmakers to make the necessary arrangements to attend.

The decision marks a significant shift from the National Assembly’s earlier schedule.

Last week, both chambers of the federal legislature adjourned plenary and proceeded on recess, with lawmakers expected to resume legislative activities on July 7, 2026.

The break was intended to allow members to observe the Democracy Day holiday and undertake constituency engagements across their respective districts.

The emergency recall comes amid growing concerns over insecurity and renewed calls for stronger measures to tackle terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.

Only four days ago, President Bola Tinubu declared that no mercy would be shown to terrorists and their sponsors.

In his Democracy Day address, the President issued a stern warning to bandits, kidnappers and those financing terror activities, urging them to surrender or face the full weight of the law.

Tinubu revealed that more than 13,000 terrorists had been neutralised within the past year and claimed that terror-related deaths had dropped by 81 per cent since 2015.

He, however, acknowledged that the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states remained a painful reminder of the country’s security challenges.

The emergency sitting is also expected to come against the backdrop of ongoing legislative efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture.

Last week, the National Assembly advanced proposals for the creation of state police as both the Senate and the House of Representatives moved to amend the 1999 Constitution to permit decentralised policing.

The proposed legislation seeks to transfer policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, thereby allowing states to establish and control their own police formations.

To achieve this, the bill proposes amendments to Sections 197, 214 and 215 of the Constitution, among others.

The Senate has already passed the measure for second reading, signalling lawmakers’ determination to find lasting solutions to the country’s persistent security crisis.

The June 23 emergency session is expected to provide an opportunity for senators to deliberate on the nation’s security challenges and consider further legislative interventions.