The Senate has called on the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts and deploy all available resources to secure the release of kidnapped school children, teachers, and other victims abducted by terrorists in Oyo and Borno states. The lawmakers made the demand amid growing public outrage over the continued captivity of dozens of victims more than two weeks after the attacks.
The resolution came as fresh security concerns emerged in Oyo State following an attack on the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) office in Ogbomoso by suspected gunmen who reportedly carted away firearms belonging to officers on duty. The development has heightened fears about worsening insecurity across parts of the state.
Adding to public anxiety, the family of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, confirmed the abduction of his younger sister, Mrs Olaide Busayo John-Paul, alongside her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, in Ibadan.
The incidents have intensified calls for stronger security measures and a coordinated response to the rising wave of kidnappings and violent attacks. Concerned Nigerians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), have urged the Federal Government to act swiftly to rescue those still being held by their captors.
The Red Chamber condemned the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in the strongest terms, describing the attacks as a direct assault on education, public safety, and the future of the country.
The Senate also called on the Federal Government to strengthen and expand the Safe Schools Initiative through improved surveillance systems, enhanced intelligence gathering, and increased security deployment around vulnerable schools and communities nationwide. Lawmakers stressed that protecting educational institutions must remain a national priority, particularly as attacks on schools continue to threaten learning activities across affected regions.
The Senate’s resolutions followed a motion titled, “The Abduction of School Children, Teachers and a Toddler in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State,” sponsored by Senator Abdulfatai Buhari (APC, Oyo North). Presenting the motion, Senator Buhari revealed that 49 people, including kidnapped school children, teachers, and a toddler, were abducted by armed kidnappers in Ahoro-Esiele and neighbouring communities in Orire Local Government Area.
According to him, three victims were shot during the attack, one person was beheaded, while 45 others remain in captivity. “The victims were abducted from a learning environment which ought to symbolise safety, hope and the future of our nation,” Buhari told the Senate.
The senator expressed particular concern over the killing of Mr Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher who was among the victims. He told lawmakers that Oyedokun was beheaded by the attackers in what he described as a barbaric act that has sent shockwaves through Oyo State and the wider country.
“Deeply disturbed that among those in captivity is a toddler whose age and vulnerability underscores the cruelty and inhumanity of the perpetrators,” Buhari said. The Senate noted that the attack had generated widespread anxiety and public outrage, while exposing the vulnerability of schools and rural communities to criminal elements.
Lawmakers urged security agencies to strengthen operations across affected areas and improve intelligence gathering to prevent similar incidents.
They stressed that the continued captivity of the kidnapped school children and their teachers demands urgent intervention and sustained action from all security institutions. The Senate further maintained that protecting lives and property remains the primary responsibility of government and called for a renewed commitment to tackling insecurity nationwide.
