Reps Pass Bill to Overhaul National Assembly Security, Scrap External Control of Sergeant-at-Arms

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a sweeping reform bill aimed at restructuring the National Assembly’s internal security system and professionalising the office of the Sergeant-at-Arms.

The proposed law removes the longstanding practice of appointing retired military officers or external security personnel to head the parliamentary security unit, instead creating a career-based system drawn strictly from serving legislative staff.

Under the new arrangement, the office of the Sergeant-at-Arms now to be upgraded into a full Security Directorate within the National Assembly, will be led by officers appointed by the National Assembly Service Commission from within the legislature’s workforce.

The bill sets strict eligibility criteria, requiring candidates to have served at least 15 years in the National Assembly, attained a minimum rank of Assistant Director, and maintained a clean disciplinary record.

It also introduces a structured leadership pathway, with the head of the directorate serving a renewable four-year tenure, limited to two terms.

Lawmakers say the reform is designed to strengthen institutional independence and build a professional security system tailored to the unique demands of the legislature.

The move also follows repeated security breaches in the National Assembly, including the 2018 invasion of the Senate chamber and the seizure of the mace, which exposed gaps in parliamentary protection.

The legislation further authorises the Sergeant-at-Arms to carry arms within the National Assembly complex, subject to presidential approval.

However, the use of firearms is strictly limited to self-defence or response to imminent threats of death or serious injury. It also permits armed action only in exceptional cases such as preventing serious crimes, arresting dangerous suspects resisting lawful authority, or stopping escapes where no lesser force is effective.

In addition, the bill provides that staff of the new directorate will enjoy conditions of service comparable to other National Assembly personnel, and where gaps exist, align with those of the Nigeria Police Force.

Sponsored by the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Akintunde Rotimi, the bill now proceeds to the Senate for concurrence before being transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.

If signed into law, the reform is expected to significantly reshape the National Assembly’s security architecture and strengthen its institutional autonomy.