Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has condemned the abductions in Borno and Oyo states as a grave threat to Nigeria's security and progress.
Gunmen kidnapped 45 students and teachers from three schools in Oyo State on Friday. In Borno State, suspected Boko Haram militants abducted 42 students from a school in Askira/Uba.
Bamidele, who chairs the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review, said the attacks prove state police is urgently needed. He released a statement Sunday through his media office.
According to him, lawmakers are already advancing constitutional amendments to create state police forces. The National Assembly is nearly done with its work on the proposal.
Once completed, Bamidele noted, the amendment will go to state legislatures for their consideration. At least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly must approve it before state police can launch.
He called on governors and state lawmakers to back the proposal based on security needs alone. Political, ethnic, and religious considerations must not slow the process down.
Bamidele also urged both federal and state governments to fully activate the Safe School Initiative right away. Nigeria has about 18.3 million out-of-school children, he noted.
The kidnappings represent an unacceptable attack on the nation's development. "We cannot and must not allow it to continue," Bamidele said in his statement.
When the National Assembly resumes plenary sessions on June 2, security bills will get top priority. Lawmakers intend to pass legislation that will end the violence once and for all.
One key bill involves the constitutional amendment to establish state police. It has reached an advanced stage and should move quickly.
Another proposal will amend the Terrorism Act of 2022, Bamidele explained. This change will strengthen penalties in Nigeria's justice system and deter serious crimes across the country.
The Senate leader stressed that the repeated school attacks undermine Nigeria's development goals. He vowed that the National Assembly would act decisively to stop the trend.
Bamidele believes state police will give communities better security than current arrangements. Local forces can respond faster to threats and prevent future abductions.
Governors have long resisted state police, citing fiscal and political concerns. However, the recent kidnappings have intensified calls for the security reform.
National security experts argue that decentralized policing could reduce response times in rural areas. Schools in remote regions especially need faster local protection.
Bamidele's statement comes as abductions continue to plague Nigeria's education sector. Parents and teachers have grown increasingly anxious about sending children to school.
The Safe School Initiative, launched years ago, has not fully contained the threat. Bamidele believes stronger implementation, combined with state police, could turn the tide.
