The Senate has extended by three weeks the lifespan of its ad hoc committee investigating the Safe Schools Initiative and broadened its scope to include the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Universal Basic Education Commission, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and the National Social Investment Programme Agency.

The decision was taken on Tuesday following a motion moved by the Chairman of the Senate Ad hoc Committee on the Safe Schools Initiative, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, pursuant to Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders, 2026, seeking an expansion of the committee's terms of reference and additional time to conclude its assignment.

Presenting the motion, Kalu disclosed that preliminary investigations had revealed strong links between the Safe Schools Initiative and several agencies responsible for educational funding, student welfare and social intervention programmes. He stated, "Investigating the Safe Schools Initiative without reviewing these complementary bodies will result in fragmented legislative oversight."

Under the expanded mandate, the Committee will evaluate financial flows and accountability mechanisms across the affected agencies, review social safety net allocations linked to school feeding and emergency relief programmes, audit TETFund's infrastructure and security related projects in tertiary institutions, assess NELFUND's disbursement processes and administrative efficiency, and examine UBEC's interventions in basic education.

Kalu explained that the Committee required additional time because four key areas of the investigation remained incomplete due to its extensive workload. Following a voice vote called by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, lawmakers unanimously approved the request.

The Committee was inaugurated in December 2025 amid concerns over persistent attacks on schools, with the probe gaining further urgency following the abduction of 25 female students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, during which the school's vice principal was reportedly killed.

During previous hearings, the panel scrutinised the disbursement of ₦15bn released in 2023, with the Nigerian Police Force receiving ₦6.225bn, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ₦3.362bn, Defence Headquarters ₦2.250bn and the Federal Ministry of Education ₦519m. It also queried alleged financial irregularities and directed the Safe Schools Financing Office to submit a reconciled breakdown of all funds released.