Lawmakers at the Senate
Nigerian Senate has renewed calls for accelerated security reforms following the abduction of 87 students and teachers across schools in Borno and Oyo States within a 24-hour period, describing the incidents as a grave threat to the nation’s future and educational stability.
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, strongly condemned the attacks, linking the rising wave of school kidnappings to the urgency of establishing state police as part of ongoing constitutional reforms at the National Assembly.
Bamidele, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said the legislature is already advancing efforts to complete the constitutional amendment process that would enable the creation of state-controlled policing structures.
According to him, once the National Assembly concludes its role, the proposal will be forwarded to State Houses of Assembly for consideration and approval, requiring a two-thirds majority before implementation.
He urged subnational governments to treat the proposed security reform as a national priority rather than a political or sectional issue.
The Senate Leader also stressed the need for immediate interim measures, calling on federal and state authorities to fully implement the Safe School Initiative to curb the growing number of out-of-school children, now estimated at 18.3 million nationwide.
He warned that repeated attacks on learning institutions represent a direct assault on Nigeria’s development prospects.
“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.”
Bamidele added that legislative actions would resume with renewed urgency when plenary reconvenes on June 2, promising swift attention to security-related bills.
“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.”
He further explained that one of the key proposals under consideration is the constitutional amendment for state police, alongside reforms to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, aimed at strengthening legal consequences for violent crimes.
“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.”
The renewed debate follows coordinated attacks in two regions: in Oyo State, armed men reportedly abducted 45 students and teachers from schools in the Oriire Local Government Area, while in Borno State, suspected Boko Haram fighters stormed Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba LGA, abducting 42 students.
The incidents have intensified national concern over school safety and renewed political momentum for decentralised policing in Nigeria.
