The Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, has strongly condemned the abduction of students and teachers in Borno and Oyo states, describing the incidents as a direct attack on Nigeria’s future and a threat to national development.

In a statement released on Sunday through his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Bamidele expressed concern over the growing insecurity in schools despite the global attention and over $30 million raised in 2014 to strengthen safety in educational institutions across the country.

The senator, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said the latest kidnappings further highlighted the urgent need for the establishment of state police to complement Nigeria’s existing security structure.

The attacks occurred within 24 hours in both Oyo and Borno states. In Oyo State, suspected gunmen reportedly abducted 45 students and teachers from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota Community Grammar School, and L.A Primary School in Esiele, located in Oriire Local Government Area.

Similarly, terrorists suspected to be members of Boko Haram invaded Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, abducting 42 students during the attack.

Reacting to the incidents, Bamidele said the National Assembly was already at an advanced stage in the constitutional amendment process aimed at creating state police across the federation.

According to him, the 10th National Assembly would soon conclude legislative procedures on the proposal before transmitting it to the various State Houses of Assembly for approval.

He explained that the amendment would require the endorsement of at least two-thirds of the state legislatures before state police could officially become operational nationwide.

The Senate Leader urged governors and lawmakers at the state level to treat the proposal as a matter of national importance rather than allowing partisan politics or ethnic and religious sentiments to influence the process.

Bamidele also called on both federal and state governments to fully implement the Safe School Initiative as a temporary solution to rising insecurity in schools and the growing out-of-school children crisis, which he said currently affects over 18.3 million children across Nigeria.

Describing the repeated abduction of students and teachers as a “tragic national concern,” he stressed that the National Assembly remained committed to strengthening laws that would help tackle insecurity and violent crimes.

He added that lawmakers would resume plenary on June 2 to conclude pending legislative efforts targeted at addressing security challenges nationwide.

Among the proposed measures, according to Bamidele, are the establishment of state police and amendments to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which seeks to strengthen the justice system and impose stricter consequences for acts of terrorism and other violent crimes.

The Federal Government has defended the reported killing of a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, insisting that the operation was credible, intelligence-driven and free of ambiguity.

In a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the government dismissed growing scepticism surrounding the operation, describing such reactions as premature and not reflective of the full operational context.

Authorities admitted that Al-Manuki’s name had earlier appeared among insurgent commanders reportedly killed in 2024 during military operations in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, but clarified that the earlier report was a case of mistaken identity.

According to security sources, the latest operation followed months of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), including communications tracking and phone intercepts dating back to December 2025.

Officials said security operatives initially planned to capture Al-Manuki alive and had tracked his movements in Abuja and Maiduguri before the final strike.

The government stated that the operation involved multiple layers of verification and target confirmation, making it more precise and reliable than previous reports.

“This time, there is no ambiguity,” the statement said, stressing that the mission was backed by multi-source intelligence and careful validation.

The government also cautioned against using past cases of wrongly reported terrorist deaths to discredit verified military operations, noting that similar challenges had occurred in global counterterrorism efforts involving Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Authorities added that Nigeria’s armed forces operate in a difficult environment where insurgents often use aliases, cross borders and hide among civilians.

Reaffirming its position, the government maintained that the elimination of Al-Manuki was a confirmed success against a key figure in the Islamic State network, declaring that it was “100 per cent certain” of the outcome.

Troops of Sector 2 under Operation Hadin Kai have intercepted more than 400 Starlink communication devices allegedly used by Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in Nigeria’s North-East.

The Sector Commander, Beyidi Martins, disclosed this while briefing defence correspondents in Damaturu, Yobe State, on Tuesday.

According to Martins, the devices were recovered during intelligence-led operations across Sambisa Forest, the Timbuktu Triangle and other terrorist hideouts in the region.

He said the military was targeting terrorist logistics and communication networks to weaken insurgent activities.

“The lifeblood of terrorist activities is logistics resupply, and we are deliberately denying them freedom to move supplies, communication equipment, fuel and other operational items across the theatre,” he said.

Martins explained that terrorists rely on civilian supply chains and collaborators to move food, fuel, drugs, communication gadgets and motorcycle parts into remote camps.

He noted that while some civilians support the insurgents willingly, others do so under threats and intimidation.

The commander added that troops had infiltrated several transport and supply networks linked to the terrorists through intelligence operations targeting transporters, traders and supply syndicates.

He revealed that arrests are being made daily and that security forces have disrupted more than 400 logistics-related operations connected to terrorist activities.

Martins said the ongoing military offensives and strangulation operations had weakened terrorist logistics networks and reduced their operational capacity in the North-East.

He also disclosed that several terrorists and their family members had surrendered following sustained military pressure.

The commander reaffirmed the commitment of troops to intensifying operations aimed at intercepting supply routes and dismantling communication systems supporting insurgency in the region.