By Adesakin Adefemi
The National Assembly says it will fast-track the constitutional process for creating state police following coordinated attacks and abductions at schools in Borno and Oyo states on Friday. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele made the announcement on Sunday.
In Borno, terrorists abducted an unconfirmed number of students from a school in Mussa village, Askira/Uba LGA. On the same day in Oyo, gunmen kidnapped at least 45 students and teachers from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and LA Primary School in Ogbomoso, Oriire LGA.
Bamidele, who is also vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, condemned the attacks as a direct threat to Nigeria’s future and national development. He said the incidents underline the urgency of strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture.
“The 10th National Assembly is currently at the phase of concluding the process of amending the 1999 Constitution to pave the way for the establishment of state police,” Bamidele said in a statement from his media office. He added that the proposal would be transmitted to state houses of assembly once approved by the National Assembly.
For the bill to take effect, it requires two-thirds approval from state legislatures. Bamidele appealed to governors and state lawmakers to support the proposal in the national interest, urging them not to politicise the issue along ethnic or religious lines.
As an interim measure, he called on federal and state governments to strengthen the Safe School Initiative to protect students and teachers while the constitutional process is ongoing. He warned that repeated abductions are worsening Nigeria’s out-of-school crisis.
“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,” Bamidele said. He pledged that lawmakers would use legislation to end the trend.
The Senate Leader also said the National Assembly would prioritise amendments to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, when plenary resumes on June 2. He said the amendments would close legal gaps exploited by armed groups.
Bamidele concluded that the National Assembly would “rise against this trend and put an end to it through the instrumentality of legislation.” The push for state police has gained renewed momentum as insecurity in schools continues to rise.
