The House of Representatives has raised concerns over a fresh security threat to bomb the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Chairman of the House Committee on Internal Security, Rep. Garba Muhammad, disclosed this on Tuesday during a public hearing on a bill to establish the legislative security directorate, aimed at strengthening security within the nation’s legislature.
Rep. Muhammad said the assembly had received intelligence about threats from terrorists and protesters targeting the complex.
“We have received threats from terrorists to bomb the National Assembly Complex and threats from protesters to lock up the National Assembly,” he said.
“Legislators are exposed to threats from constituents and others who gain easy access to their offices without any formal appointment.”
He noted that the National Assembly had recorded several security breaches, including theft, vandalism, fake identification cards, and infiltration by unauthorized persons.
The lawmaker warned that failure to act could disrupt legislative operations and threaten Nigeria’s democratic stability.
“If proper measures are not taken, it will truncate legislative activities. If activities are thwarted, there will be no representation, no oversight, no annual budget, no plenary — and that will destabilise democracy and the stability of our nation,” Rep. Muhammad added.
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He said the proposed bill seeks to introduce a coordinated and multi-layered approach to security management in the National Assembly, in line with international standards.
Rep. Muhammad urged state Houses of Assembly to also strengthen security around their complexes and called for the swift passage of the bill to protect lawmakers, staff, and visitors.
The warning recalls a similar security alert issued in May 2021 about a planned Boko Haram attack on the National Assembly and other high-profile government facilities in Abuja, which led to tightened access control at the legislature.
The lawmaker stressed that the new legislative security framework would “ensure the parliament remains open yet secure” as part of efforts to safeguard democratic institutions.
