Abuja, Nigeria – The Senate has renewed its push for the establishment of state police following the abduction of 87 students and teachers across Borno and Oyo States within 24 hours, describing the incidents as a “tragic national concern” that underscores urgent security reforms.
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, in a statement issued on Sunday through the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs of his office, strongly condemned the attacks, calling them an assault on Nigeria’s future and a reminder of the country’s deepening insecurity in school environments.
The incidents reportedly involved the abduction of 45 pupils and teachers from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, along with Community Grammar School and L.A Primary School in Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. In a separate attack within the same period, Boko Haram terrorists invaded Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, abducting 42 students.
Bamidele referenced the continued vulnerability of schools despite international interventions, including the reported $30 million raised in 2014 for school security initiatives, describing the latest attacks as evidence of gaps in implementation.
According to him, the 10th National Assembly is intensifying efforts to conclude constitutional amendments that would enable the creation of state police as part of a broader reform of Nigeria’s security architecture.
“The process will soon be completed at the National Assembly and thereafter transmitted to State Houses of Assembly for consideration and approval,” he said, noting that the proposal would require two-thirds endorsement before implementation.
He urged sub-national governments and legislatures to treat the proposal as a matter of national urgency, warning against politicising security reforms.
The Senate Leader also called for immediate strengthening of the Safe School Initiative as a stop-gap measure, noting that Nigeria currently faces an estimated 18.3 million out-of-school children.
Bamidele further disclosed that upon resumption of plenary on June 2, the National Assembly would prioritise key security-related legislation, including constitutional amendments for state police and reforms to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
He stressed that sustained attacks on schools threaten national development and called for coordinated federal and state action to reverse the trend.
