ABUJA, Nigeria — The House of Representatives Committee on Internal Security has disclosed that terrorists have issued threats to bomb the National Assembly complex, prompting urgent calls for tighter security around Nigeria’s legislative institution.
Garba Muhammad, chairman of the committee, made the revelation on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, during a public hearing on a proposed bill to establish a Legislative Security Directorate.
The new body would define the qualifications and conditions of service for the sergeant-at-arms and other security personnel within the National Assembly.
“The National Assembly is going through a lot of security challenges,” Muhammad said.
“We have experienced car thefts, motorcycle thefts, vandalism, fake identity cards, and unwanted visitors accessing the National Assembly without proper documentation, as well as petty trading, which gives the National Assembly a small market appearance.
“We have received threats from terrorists to bomb the National Assembly complex and threat from protesters to lock up the National Assembly,” he added.
The lawmaker warned that the current security lapses expose legislators and staff to serious risks.
“Legislators are exposed to threats from constituents and others who gain easy access to their offices without any formal appointment,” he said.
Muhammad emphasised that the influx of people into the National Assembly makes it an easy target for infiltration.
“Due to this daily massive influx of people into the parliament, criminals seek and attempt to take advantage of the situation to infiltrate, in order to conduct their dubious behaviours,” he noted.
He cautioned that failure to strengthen the security framework could have far-reaching consequences for Nigeria’s democracy.
“It is obvious that with the ongoing security challenges, if proper measures are not taken, they will truncate legislative activities in the National Assembly. If activities are thwarted, there will be no representation, no oversight, no annual budget, there will be no plenary at all, and that will destabilise legislative procedure, democracy, and the stability of the system, and our nation at large,” he warned.
Muhammad said the proposed bill seeks to bring the National Assembly’s security architecture in line with global best practices, ensuring that the legislative environment is adequately safeguarded.
“Effective security management needs a total approach that requires various elements to be integrated together in order to secure our environment for legislative procedure to function effectively and maximally,” he said.
He also urged state houses of assembly to adopt similar measures to ensure the safety of lawmakers and maintain the integrity of legislative operations across the country.
