The Senate on Wednesday endorsed the monitoring of federal constituency projects by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), rejecting an attempt to halt the anti-graft agency’s tracking of projects executed across the country.
The upper chamber also expressed grave concern over renewed insurgent attacks in parts of Borno State, warning that the resurgence of violence posed a serious threat to security in the North-east.
The position on the ICPC followed a heated debate during plenary after a motion by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu sought to stop the commission from monitoring constituency projects.
Kalu argued that the anti-corruption agency was encroaching on the statutory responsibilities of committees of the National Assembly of Nigeria, which he said were empowered to supervise and oversee the implementation of such projects.
However, the leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, opposed the proposal, insisting that the ICPC was acting within its legal mandate to promote transparency and accountability in the execution of publicly funded projects.
Bamidele told the chamber that several lawmakers, including himself and the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, had their constituency projects monitored by the anti-graft agency without raising objections.
“Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, the ICPC has the mandate to track projects. Even as the Leader of the Senate, my projects are being tracked in my constituency,” he said.
“Many of our colleagues here know that their projects are also being monitored. There is nothing to worry about because these are projects meant for the benefit of our constituents.”
He warned that stopping the anti-graft agency from carrying out its statutory duties would undermine transparency in the management of public funds.
Bamidele also raised procedural objections to the motion, arguing that it was defective because it was neither properly seconded nor compliant with Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders governing the introduction of motions.
According to him, since the motion lacked a seconder and did not obtain the consent of the chamber before presentation, it could not stand for debate.
“To the extent that it was not properly seconded and the necessary consent was not sought before presentation, the motion cannot stand,” he said.
He advised that concerns about the ICPC’s monitoring activities should be addressed administratively rather than through a motion on the floor of the Senate.
Earlier, the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the plenary before the arrival of Akpabio, supported the view that project monitoring by the ICPC was necessary to ensure accountability in the use of public funds.
Barau stressed that contractors handling government-funded projects must be subjected to proper oversight to guarantee value for money.
When Akpabio later presided over the session, he ruled that the issue should be handled administratively, effectively ending the attempt to stop the ICPC from continuing its project-tracking exercise.
Meanwhile, the Senate expressed deep concern over renewed insurgent attacks on military formations and communities in Borno State.
Lawmakers observed a minute of silence in honour of soldiers who lost their lives in a recent attack by suspected insurgents linked to Boko Haram on a Nigerian Army base in Kukawa Local Government Area.
The motion, moved by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno, revealed that the attack occurred in the early hours of March 9, 2026, when insurgents launched a coordinated assault on the military formation, engaging troops in a fierce gun battle that reportedly lasted about 24 hours.
The Senate noted with sadness that the attack led to the death of Lieutenant Colonel Umar Farouk, described as a key officer who played a significant role in restoring civil authority in Kukawa after the town had previously been overrun by insurgents.
Monguno told the Senate that the attackers approached the military base from different directions and engaged troops in intense combat, leading to casualties and the destruction of some military vehicles, while weapons were reportedly looted during the assault.
He warned that the incident signaled a troubling resurgence of insurgent activities in the North-east despite ongoing counter-insurgency operations under Operation Hadin Kai.
The lawmaker also disclosed that another community in Kukawa Local Government Area, identified as Doro, came under attack earlier on Wednesday, leading to the death of another soldier.
While commending the bravery and sacrifices of officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Senate urged the military authorities to intensify intelligence gathering, surveillance and operational strategies to consolidate the gains already recorded in the fight against insurgency.
Seconding the motion, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, who represents Borno Central Senatorial District, described the renewed attacks as alarming and called for urgent and extraordinary measures to address the situation.
He disclosed that several communities across Borno State had come under attack in recent days, resulting in the deaths of soldiers and civilians.
According to him, attacks were reported in areas such as Baga, Konduga and other communities, while some commanding officers were killed in separate incidents.
Lawan warned that the scale and coordination of the attacks suggested a worrying resurgence of insurgency in the region.
“It is in our enlightened self-interest to support this motion and take decisive steps to nip this renewed insurgency in the bud,” he said.
Following deliberations, the Senate resolved to honour the fallen soldiers with a minute of silence and urged the Armed Forces to strengthen intelligence gathering, surveillance and operational capabilities in order to end insecurity in the North-east and other parts of the country.
