By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Internal Security, Garba Muhammad, on Tuesday, October 28, raised the alarm that the National Assembly (NASS) received threats from terrorists to attack the complex.
Muhammad said the edifice, which houses the Senate, the House of Representatives and others, has been facing security challenges, including cases of car and motorcycle theft, vandalism, fake identity cards, infiltration by unregistered visitors, and called for urgent fortification of the edifice as a proactive measure.
He disclosed this in Abuja at a public hearing on a bill proposing the establishment of the Legislative Security Directorate, which seeks to enhance security management, protect the lawmakers, staff members and visitors to the nation’s parliament.
The lawmaker added that if urgent measures were not taken, the security challenges would truncate legislative activities in the National Assembly.
He said: “We have received threats from terrorists to bomb the National Assembly complex and threats from protesters to lock up the National Assembly.
“Legislators are exposed to threats from constituents and others who gain easy access to their offices without any formal appointment.
“It is obvious that with the ongoing security challenges, if proper measures are not taken, it will truncate the legislative activities in the National Assembly.
“If activities are thwarted, there will be no representation, no oversight, no annual budget, no plenary at all — and that will destabilise legislative procedure, democracy, and the stability of the system, and our nation at large.”
Muhammad further reiterated the importance of the bill to address the challenges, ensure the parliament remains accessible to the public and protect legislators, staff, visitors, and property.
He noted that robust security management requires a holistic and coordinated approach, involving multi-layered approaches to secure the National Assembly environment to enable lawmakers to discharge their duties in an atmosphere of peace.
“That is why this bill is important. It seeks to address all the challenges as aforesaid and adopt the world’s best practices of parliamentary security procedures and architecture.
“The need for effective security measures in the National Assembly cannot be overemphasised because parliament has to remain accessible to the public. However, this bill is committed to ensuring the best security architecture in the National Assembly — to protect legislators, staff, visitors, and property,” he said.
The lawmaker urged State Houses of Assembly to take urgent steps to protect their complexes nationwide.
He called for support among stakeholders to ensure the quick passage of the bill, describing it as a major step toward securing Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
It would be recalled that a similar case of threats of attack on the National Assembly complex was reported on May 4, 2021.
The security alert warned lawmakers of a planned Boko Haram attack on the National Assembly complex and other VIP/government locations in Abuja.
To forestall any possible attack, security measures were intensified, including strict vehicle checks that caused significant congestion at the gates, while lawmakers were advised to use the less-congested presidential gate for safer access.
Following the alert then, the National Assembly limited members’ presence on the premises for safety, and security experts called for stronger federal protection of national infrastructure and assets.
