Senate Condemns Fresh School Abductions, Moves to Fast-Track State Police

The Senate has condemned the abduction of 87 students and teachers in separate attacks in Borno and Oyo states, declaring that the growing wave of insecurity has made the establishment of state police more urgent than ever.

Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, said the recent attacks on schools represented a dangerous threat to Nigeria’s future and vowed that the National Assembly would accelerate legislative measures aimed at strengthening the country’s security framework.

Bamidele made the remarks in a statement issued on Sunday by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs in his office.

The Senate leader reacted to the abduction of 45 students and teachers by suspected gunmen from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Community Grammar School and L.A Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

In a separate attack within the same period, Boko Haram insurgents reportedly invaded Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, abducting 42 students.

Describing the incidents as “a tragic national concern,” Bamidele said the attacks further exposed the need for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s security architecture, particularly the creation of state police.

According to him, the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution by the 10th National Assembly has reached an advanced stage and would soon pave the way for the establishment of state police across the federation.

He explained that after the National Assembly concludes work on the constitutional amendment, the proposal would be transmitted to state Houses of Assembly, where it would require approval by at least two-thirds of the states before becoming operational.

Bamidele urged governors and state lawmakers to treat the proposal as a national security priority rather than a political issue.

“The incessant abduction of students and teachers is a tragic national concern that negates our national development indices. We cannot and must not allow it to continue,” he said.

He added that the National Assembly would resume plenary on June 2 to finalise pending legislative initiatives targeted at addressing insecurity nationwide.

Among the measures under consideration, he said, are amendments to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 aimed at strengthening the justice system and imposing stiffer consequences for terrorism-related offences.

The Senate leader also called on both federal and state governments to fully implement the Safe School Initiative as a stop-gap measure to secure learning environments and address Nigeria’s growing out-of-school children crisis, currently estimated at 18.3 million.