The Senate has condemned the abduction of 87 students and teachers in Borno and Oyo states within 24 hours, describing the incidents as a direct attack on Nigeria’s future.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele issued the condemnation in a statement released through his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs on Sunday, expressing concern over the resurgence of school kidnappings despite previous interventions to strengthen school security.
He noted that the latest incidents were particularly alarming given that $30 million was reportedly raised in 2014 to support the security of public and private schools nationwide.
In Oyo State, suspected gunmen abducted 45 students and teachers from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School; and L.A. Primary School in Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area.
In a separate attack in Borno State, Boko Haram terrorists reportedly stormed Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, abducting 42 students within the same period.
Bamidele, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said the coordinated attacks further underscore the urgency of establishing state police, a proposal currently under consideration by the National Assembly.
He disclosed that the 10th Senate is in the advanced stages of constitutional amendment to provide legal backing for state policing, adding that the proposal would soon be transmitted to State Houses of Assembly for ratification.
According to him, the process requires approval by two-thirds of state legislatures before it can become law.
He urged sub-national governments and lawmakers to treat the proposal as a matter of urgent national importance, warning against politicisation or ethno-religious interpretations of the reform.
While awaiting its establishment, Bamidele called for the full implementation of the Safe School Initiative as an interim security measure, noting that Nigeria still has an estimated 18.3 million out-of-school children.
He described the continued abduction of students and teachers as a “grave national concern that undermines development indicators,” adding that the Senate would intensify legislative action when plenary resumes on June 2.
He also highlighted ongoing reforms, including the constitutional review process aimed at creating state police, as well as proposed amendments to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, designed to strengthen the justice system and deter violent crimes.
