The Senate on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to consider far-reaching emergency measures, including the possible suspension of political activities in eight frontline states, as insecurity continues to escalate across parts of the country.
The call, which underscores growing concern within the National Assembly over renewed insurgent offensives, followed a point of order raised by the lawmaker representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi, during plenary.
He said, “Mr President, we cannot continue to think that because we are in Abuja, therefore this thing (insecurity) does not affect us.
“One of the things that we must do, and I want us to take this issue very seriously, is either to suspend all political activities across this country or look at the frontline states of Borno, Plateau, Bauchi, Benue, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi and some parts of Kano.
“We need to suspend activities in these states until we are sufficiently certain that the insecurity challenges are over.
“This is because we are not dealing with this insecurity issue at all. And I am not blaming anybody. We cannot come here every time to lament.”
Ningi’s warning comes amid a resurgence of attacks by Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East, including coordinated assaults on military formations and fresh threats issued against any forceful rescue attempts of abducted civilians.
The Upper Chamber, in a related resolution, called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to secure the release of 416 women, children and elderly persons reportedly held captive by insurgents in Borno State since March 30, 2026.
The resolution followed the consideration of a motion titled “Urgent need to curb attacks on military formations by Boko Haram insurgents,” sponsored by Tahir Monguno and co-sponsored by Ali Ndume and Kaka Lawan.
Leading the debate on the motion, Monguno expressed concern over recent coordinated attacks on military formations in Monguno and Benisheikh, warning that the renewed wave of violence was eroding gains recorded in counter-insurgency operations and posing a serious threat to national security.
Adding his voice, Ndume raised alarm over the fate of the abducted victims, noting that insurgents had issued fresh threats to disperse them if urgent steps were not taken.
He called for swift intervention by both the National Assembly and the Presidency.
Also contributing, Diket Plang (APC, Plateau Central) said the continued targeting of military personnel was heightening fear across the country, warning that the killing of senior officers and security operatives sent a dangerous signal about the state of national security.
In its resolutions, the Senate “strongly condemned the continued attacks by Boko Haram on military formations” and observed a minute of silence in honour of fallen soldiers.
Lawmakers further called on the Chief of Defence Staff and service chiefs to “conduct a comprehensive operational and logistical audit of the affected military formations to identify and address gaps in equipment and operational strategy.”
They also urged the Armed Forces to “strengthen adherence to rules of engagement and international humanitarian law” and to “thoroughly investigate allegations of harm to civilians during military operations.”
The Senate encouraged local communities to support security agencies with “credible and timely information,” while commending troops of Operation Hadin Kai for their bravery.
The latest concerns follow the emergence of a video released by a faction of Boko Haram, Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad, which reportedly showed dozens of abducted victims in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
In the footage, the insurgents warned against any rescue attempt and threatened that failure to meet their demands within 72 hours could lead to the victims being dispersed.
Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has defended the Federal Government’s 2021 suspension of Twitter (now X), insisting that the move was aimed at safeguarding national security rather than suppressing dissent.
Mohammed made the clarification on Thursday while speaking to students at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, where he addressed concerns over whether the action contradicted democratic principles.
According to him, the decision was taken after careful consideration of the competing demands of freedom of expression, public interest and national security.
“Why did we suspend the operations of Twitter in Nigeria? It is a delicate balance for every government – balancing freedom of information, public interest and national security. Anytime you are faced with this… national security and public interest will come first,” he said.
He stressed that the government did not set out to silence critics, acknowledging concerns that the suspension could be perceived as a clampdown on free speech.
“I was worried that the message that would be sent out would be as if the Nigerian government is clamping down on freedom of expression. So, it was a difficult decision for me to make,” Mohammed stated.
The former minister maintained, however, that the action became necessary as certain groups, including the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), were allegedly using the platform to incite unrest and threaten national unity.
“Twitter became a platform of choice for those who wanted to destabilise Nigeria… so we took the decision very painfully, but we believed that in the circumstances, national security trumps every other consideration,” he said.
Mohammed reiterated that the government did not impose a permanent ban on the social media platform but temporarily suspended its operations to allow for engagement and reforms.
“We did not ban Twitter. We simply suspended the operations to give them time to take measures to rid their platform of those elements,” he explained.
He added that the engagement with Twitter officials yielded positive outcomes, noting that the platform has since improved in its operations.
“Today, the Twitter (X) platform is by far more responsible; it is no longer a threat to national security and unity,” he said.
Speaking on the broader challenges posed by social media, Mohammed observed that the rapid evolution of digital communication has transformed the information landscape, empowering citizens to challenge official narratives and shape public discourse.
“Today, communication moves very fast… the public is no longer waiting for the government to get their information. They challenge government and even develop their own narratives,” he noted, adding that governments must respond swiftly while maintaining accuracy and consistency.
On youth participation in politics, Mohammed dismissed claims that Nigeria’s political space is dominated by older individuals, arguing that several state governors are under 60 years of age.
“We have a few governors who are probably 60 years. We have more governors who are under 50. As a matter of fact, the governor of my state in Kwara was under 60 seven years ago. The Kogi State governor is currently 48 years. The Ebonyi State governor is 51 years now. The Ekiti governor is 58 years old. Governor Zulum of Borno is 56 years old. Seyi Makinde is 58 years old and Fubara of Rivers is 51 years old,” he said.
“So, it is not correct to say that most governors in Nigeria are 60 years and above. We have a lot of them who have taken advantage of the system,” he added.
He also cautioned against what he described as a sense of entitlement among young Nigerians seeking political office.
“You cannot stay in Cambridge or Harvard and then come to Lagos or Anambra and say that you are entitled to be a senator or governor,” he said.
