ABUJA — The Senate on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts and deploy all necessary resources toward the immediate rescue of schoolchildren, teachers, and other victims abducted by gunmen in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The upper legislative chamber also urged the expansion of the Safe Schools Initiative, enhanced surveillance and intelligence gathering, as well as increased security deployment around vulnerable schools and communities across the country.
The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Senator Abdulfatai Buhari (APC, Oyo) during plenary.
Presenting the motion, Buhari expressed deep concern over the attack, revealing that 49 persons, including schoolchildren, teachers, and a toddler, were affected by the incident.
According to him, three victims sustained gunshot injuries, one teacher was brutally beheaded, while 45 others remain in captivity.
He described the attack as a barbaric assault on innocent citizens in a place that should represent safety, learning, and hope for the nation’s future.
“This was a most barbaric act which has struck fear into the people of the state and Nigerians at large,” Buhari said.
He noted that the incident had generated widespread anxiety and public outrage, while raising serious concerns about the security of schools and rural communities across the federation.
“When schools become hunting grounds for criminals, the future of the nation itself is imperilled,” he added.
Contributing to the debate, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo) recalled a previous mass abduction of schoolchildren in Kebbi State, where military personnel stationed at a school were reportedly withdrawn shortly before bandits attacked the facility.
According to Oshiomhole, armed personnel deployed to protect the school were ordered to leave, and less than an hour later, bandits invaded the community and abducted nearly 200 children.
The former Edo State governor lamented the lack of accountability over the incident, noting that the Senate had earlier directed the military high command to identify the officer responsible for the withdrawal order and explain what disciplinary measures, if any, had been taken.
“To the best of my knowledge, we have not received any response to that simple inquiry,” Oshiomhole said.
He stressed the need for greater accountability within the security architecture, warning that insecurity would persist if the armed forces were not held responsible for operational failures and if the National Assembly failed to effectively oversee funds appropriated for security.
The Senate subsequently resolved to urge security agencies to take immediate action to secure the release of the abducted victims and strengthen protective measures for schools across the country.
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