The Senate majority leader, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, on Sunday condemned the abduction of 87 students and teachers in Borno and Oyo states, describing the attacks as a threat to Nigeria’s future.
Bamidele, who is also the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, stated that the incidences highlighted the importance of establishing state police to bolster the country’s security infrastructure.
In a statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, the Senate leader urged coordinated efforts to safeguard schools around the country and address the rising out-of-school children crisis.
Chronicle NG reports that no fewer than seven teachers and many students were abducted by terrorists during a raid on three schools in the Oriire Area of Oyo State.
While the Oyo school incident occurred on Friday, Boko Haram rebels reportedly invaded Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Borno’s Askira/Uba Local Government Area, abducting 42 children.
In response to the incidents, Bamidele branded the abductions as “an attack on the future of Nigeria,” saying that the National Assembly would expedite the process of establishing state police.
According to him, the 10th National Assembly is already well into the ongoing constitutional change process aimed at paving the way for state police.
He said that once the National Assembly completed its portion, the proposal would be sent to state houses of assembly for ratification by a two-thirds majority before it could take effect.
The Senate leader urged state governments and legislatures to view the state police idea as a national priority rather than a party or ethno-religious issue.
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Bamidele also asked both the federal and state governments to fully execute the Safe School Initiative as a temporary remedy to reduce school insecurity and address the growing number of out-of-school children, which he estimated to be 18.3 million across the country.
He said, “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.
“At the National Assembly, we will rise against this trend and put an end to it through the instrumentality of legislation.
“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.
“One of such initiatives is the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution that seeks to establish state police, which is now at an advanced stage.
“Another is the amendment of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, aimed at strengthening the system of consequence in the country’s justice sector and discouraging heinous crimes nationwide.”
