Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Internal Security, Garba Muhammad, has revealed that the National Assembly has received terrorist threats targeting the parliament complex.
Garba disclosed this during a public hearing on a bill proposing the establishment of the Legislative Security Directorate, aimed at strengthening security measures, and protecting lawmakers, staff, and visitors to the National Assembly.
He noted that the complex has faced various security challenges, including car and motorcycle theft, vandalism, the use of fake identity cards, and infiltration by unregistered visitors.
A similar warning was issued on May 4, 2021, when a security alert flagged a planned Boko Haram attack on the National Assembly complex and other VIP and government locations in Abuja.
Following that alert, the National Assembly restricted members’ presence on the premises, prompting calls from security experts for enhanced federal protection of national infrastructure and assets.
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Garba emphasised the urgent need to strengthen the complex’s security to prevent potential disruptions.
“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,” he said.
He warned that without proper security measures, legislative activities could be severely disrupted.
“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,” Garba added.
