Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele on Sunday strongly condemned the kidnapping of 87 students and teachers in separate incidents across Borno and Oyo states within a 24-hour period.
Read more: Senate Denounces Student Kidnappings in Borno and Oyo, Vows to Establish State PoliceBamidele, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, stated that the spate of abductions underscores the urgent need to establish state police, a measure currently under consideration at the National Assembly.
In a statement released by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Bamidele called for coordinated and strategic action to ensure the safety of schools nationwide, stressing that increased insecurity threatens the future of Nigeria and contributes to the growing number of out-of-school children.
He described the abductions as an assault on the nation’s future and pledged to accelerate the legislative process to create state police as a means to bolster the country’s security framework.
Bamidele explained that the 10th National Assembly is nearing completion of the constitutional amendment process to permit the creation of state police. Once the National Assembly concludes its deliberations, the proposal will be sent to State Houses of Assembly for further consideration, where it will require approval by two-thirds of the states before implementation.
He urged state governments and legislatures to treat the proposal as a critical national issue beyond partisan or ethno-religious interests.
Pending the establishment of state police, Bamidele called on both federal and state governments to adopt and fully implement the Safe School Initiative as an interim measure to protect students and reduce the number of out-of-school children, which currently stands at 18.3 million nationwide.
He described the recurring abduction of students and teachers as a grave national issue that undermines development, pledging that the National Assembly would address the trend through robust legislative action.
When plenary resumes on June 2, Bamidele assured that lawmakers would fast-track all pending legislative initiatives aimed at tackling security challenges. These include the ongoing constitutional review for state police and amendments to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, intended to strengthen the justice system and deter serious crimes.
The recent attacks saw suspected gunmen abduct 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, Oyo State. In a separate incident during the same period, Boko Haram terrorists stormed Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, Borno State, kidnapping 42 students.
