The Senate yesterday condemned the abduction of schoolchildren, teachers and a toddler in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, describing the attack as a barbaric assault on the nation’s future and demanding the immediate rescue of all those still being held captive.
The upper chamber also called on the Federal Government to strengthen and expand its Safe Schools Initiative through enhanced surveillance, intelligence gathering and improved security deployment around vulnerable schools and communities across the country.
In a related development, the red chamber expressed deep concern over the worsening security situation in Kwara North Senatorial District following reports of recurring killings, kidnappings, attacks on communities, and the burning of the palace of the Emir of Yashikira by armed criminals.
To ensure oversight, the Senate mandated its Committees on National Security and Intelligence, Army, Air Force, Police Affairs, Works and Special Duties to engage relevant stakeholders and report back within four weeks on measures being taken to address the situation.
The resolution on the Oyo school abduction followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Abdulfatai Buhari (Oyo North), who drew attention to the May 15 attack on Ahoro-Esiele and adjoining communities in Oriire Local Government Area.
The lawmaker recalled that armed kidnappers abducted 49 people, comprising schoolchildren, teachers and a toddler, during the attack. Three persons were shot dead and one teacher was beheaded, while dozens remain in captivity.
Buhari lamented that the victims were abducted from what should have been a safe learning environment.
He also recounted the gruesome killing of one of the victims, Mr. Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher, who was allegedly beheaded by the attackers.
Buhari informed senators that kidnappers struck again in Oyo State on Wednesday morning, abducting three children and their mother in Ibadan, and urged urgent intervention by security agencies.
Following deliberations, the Senate condemned the attack in the strongest terms, sympathised with the affected families and the Oyo State Government, and urged security agencies to deploy all necessary resources to secure the immediate release of those still in captivity.
On the Kwara North situation, the Senate decried the recurring killings, kidnappings, attacks on communities, and the burning of the palace of the Emir of Yashikira by armed criminals.
This position of the Senate came after a motion, titled “Urgent Need for Federal Government Intervention to Address the Re-occurring Insecurity in Kwara North Senatorial District,” sponsored by Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar and presented during plenary presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Presenting the motion, Senator Umar reminded the Senate that, “Security is the primary responsibility of government as guaranteed under Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”
He lamented that Kwara North had in recent months witnessed an alarming deterioration of security, stating that the district had been plagued by “killings, kidnappings, destruction of property, and attacks on innocent citizens across several communities.”
The lawmaker recalled that several months after the tragic Woro massacre, many victims remained in captivity.
He told the Senate that, “Several months after the unfortunate Woro massacre, many women and children abducted during the attack remain in captivity, while their families continue to suffer untold hardship and psychological trauma.”
The senator further informed lawmakers that communities in Patigi Local Government Area had continued to suffer repeated attacks and kidnappings, creating what he described as “an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty among residents.”
In its resolution, the upper chamber urged the Federal Government to strengthen security architecture in Kwara North through the establishment of additional military bases, deployment of more security personnel and equipment, and intensified joint military and security operations aimed at rooting out criminal elements from the Kainji Lake forest axis and other identified hideouts.
The Senate also called on the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and other relevant security agencies to intensify efforts towards the rescue and safe return of all kidnapped victims still in captivity across Kwara North Senatorial District.
Lawmakers further urged the Federal Government to undertake the rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion of critical road infrastructure across Kwara North to improve accessibility, strengthen security operations and stimulate socio-economic development.
The Senate also called on the National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant agencies to provide immediate humanitarian relief, rehabilitation and support for affected families and communities.
The Senate thereafter observed a minute of silence in honour of all citizens who lost their lives in the various attacks across Kwara North and extended its condolences to their families and affected communities.
