Senate condemns kidnapping of 87 students, urges swift creation of State Police
NASS
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has condemned in “absolute terms” the abduction of 87 students and teachers in Borno and Oyo States within 24 hours and urged faster action to establish state police as part of efforts to secure schools nationwide.
In a statement dated May 17 and shared by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Bamidele said the twin kidnappings — 45 victims seized in Oyo State and 42 in Borno — underline the urgent need to protect pupils and teachers, even after $30 million was raised globally in 2014 to secure public and private schools across Nigeria.
“These abductions are an attack on the future of Nigeria,” the senator said, adding that the incidents “accentuate the need to expedite the establishment of state police currently under consideration at the National Assembly.”
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 of Oyo State on Friday.
Within the same 24-hour period, Boko Haram militants attacked Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, abducting 42 students.
Bamidele described the wave of kidnappings as “a tragic national concern that negates our national development indices,” and warned that the National Assembly will act to end the trend “through the instrumentality of legislation.”
The Senate leader said the 10th National Assembly is nearing conclusion of the constitutional amendment process required to pave the way for state police.
“Indeed, the process will soon be completed at the National Assembly,” he said, explaining that after the National Assembly completes its part the proposal would be transmitted to State Houses of Assembly, where a two-thirds approval is required before state police can be established.
He appealed to sub-national governments and legislatures to treat the state police proposal “as an issue of strategic national importance that should not be subjected to partisan politics or ethno-religious consideration.”
While state police remain pending, Bamidele urged federal and state governments to adopt and implement the safe school initiative as a stop‑gap measure to address the nation’s out-of-school children crisis, which he said currently stands at 18.3 million.
He also said the Senate will prioritise security-related legislative initiatives when plenaries resume on June 2.
“As soon as the National Assembly resumes plenaries on June 2, we will perfect all outstanding legislative initiatives that have been introduced to decisively address security challenges in the federation,” Bamidele said, citing the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution and a proposed amendment to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 aimed at strengthening consequences in the justice system and deterring heinous crimes.
