Senators were said to have been divided on whether to grant approval to the request or shut it down.

It was gathered that many senators from the North were not in support of the move as they argued that doing so would affect the peace of their area.

A source who was privy to the discussions among the senators, who met behind closed doors, said lawmakers from seven northern states, which share border with Niger Republic namely; Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno, vehemently rejected the move.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “It was a stormy session with concern on the implications of the war if allowed to start.