House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to secure the release of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, without further delay.
Gatekeepers News reports that the resolution was passed during plenary on Tuesday following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala, the lawmaker representing Ogbomoso North/Ogbomoso South/Oriire Federal Constituency.
The victims were kidnapped on May 15 when armed attackers invaded Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and LA Primary School in Ogbomoso, all located within Oriire Local Government Area. At least 45 pupils and teachers were reportedly abducted during the attacks.
The development prompted the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State to begin an indefinite strike on Monday, demanding urgent government intervention to secure the release of the victims.
Last week, President Bola Tinubu directed the deployment of “a specialised security unit with advanced rescue capabilities” to facilitate the release of the kidnapped pupils and teachers.
While presenting the motion, Alao-Akala condemned the killing of Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher who was reportedly beheaded by the kidnappers. He described the act as “barbaric and savage,” insisting that it requires an immediate and coordinated response from government authorities.
“As we sit in the comfort of this chamber, mothers in Oriire are sleepless, fathers are broken, and children still in the hands of their captors are crying out for a rescue that has not yet come, and that every passing hour of their captivity is an hour of unbearable agony for families who do not know whether their loved ones are alive or dead,” he said.
Also contributing to the debate, Bamidele Salam, who represents Ede North/Ede South/Ejigbo/Egbedore Federal Constituency in Osun State, expressed concern over the growing insecurity affecting public schools across the country.
“The abduction of school children, which started with the kidnapping of Chibok girls a few years ago, is becoming a trend. One of the keys to liberating a people is education, and if that key is in the hands of killers, then there is a problem,” Salam said.
“As leaders, we need to attend to this issue with a sense of urgency. Most of the children of the leaders attend private schools, some of them outside the country.
“The children of the poor attend public schools, but we cannot close our eyes to the plight of the children of the poor.”
Salam further urged the Federal Government to establish a special force dedicated to protecting schools nationwide.
Meanwhile, Benedict Etanabene, a lawmaker from Delta State, called on the National Assembly to expedite the constitutional process for the establishment of state police as part of broader efforts to tackle insecurity.
The motion was unanimously adopted after Speaker Tajudeen Abbas put it to a voice vote.
As part of its resolutions, the House urged the Federal Government to establish a permanent military base in the area to combat banditry and other criminal activities around the Oyo National Park and surrounding communities.
