,.. Borno, Oyo school Attacks Spark National Outrage
…. Lawmakers Vow Swift Constitutional Amendment
Daud Olatunji
The Senate on Sunday condemned the abduction of no fewer than 87 students and teachers in coordinated attacks across Borno State and Oyo State, describing the incidents as a direct assault on Nigeria’s future and intensifying calls for the creation of state police.
Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, said the back-to-back kidnappings had further exposed the fragility of the country’s security architecture and reinforced the urgency of decentralising policing.
In a statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Bamidele disclosed that the 10th National Assembly was in the final phase of amending the 1999 Constitution to accommodate state policing, assuring that the process would soon be concluded.
According to him, the proposed amendment would be transmitted to state legislatures for ratification, requiring the approval of at least two-thirds of State Houses of Assembly before it can take effect.
He urged subnational governments to rise above political, ethnic and religious considerations, warning that national security must not be sacrificed on the altar of partisanship.
“The incessant abduction of students and teachers is a tragic national concern that undermines our development indices. We cannot and must not allow it to persist,” he said.
Bamidele added that the National Assembly would, upon resumption of plenary on June 2, move decisively to pass critical security reforms, including amendments to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, aimed at strengthening deterrence against violent crimes.
He also called for the immediate reinforcement of the Safe School Initiative as a stopgap measure to protect learning environments and address Nigeria’s alarming out-of-school population, currently estimated at over 18 million.
The latest outrage followed the abduction of 45 students and teachers from multiple schools in Esiele community, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Within the same 24-hour window, suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, abducting 42 students.
The twin attacks have sparked widespread concern over the safety of schools nationwide, with stakeholders warning that continued insecurity could further worsen Nigeria’s education crisis.
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