BREAKING: “National Assembly To Push For State Police As Part Of Efforts Against Terror Attacks” – Bamidele
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has confirmed that the National Assembly is actively working on legislative measures to establish state police as a response to Nigeria’s rising insecurity.
In a statement released in Abuja on Sunday through his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Bamidele explained that the creation of state police would serve as part of a broader national strategy to address insecurity.
He used the occasion of Easter to send greetings to Christians worldwide and also urged leaders across the country to avoid divisive rhetoric that could worsen the country’s challenges.
In his message, Bamidele called on Nigerians to reflect on the values demonstrated by Jesus Christ.
According to him, citizens should “consciously reflect on the virtues of Jesus Christ; learn from His consecration and live His life of purpose rooted in the pursuit of justice, love and redemption for humanity.”
Highlighting Christ’s sacrificial life, Bamidele stated that, “In spite of the animosity He suffered and opposition He faced, Jesus Christ consciously sought and secured freedom for the captives, peace for the troubled, comfort for the sorrowful, love for the dejected, justice for the oppressed and hope for those who are in despair.”
He noted that Christ’s life offers a model for national unity, saying, “In Nigeria today, Christ’s example clearly presents us a glimpse of how we should live together. As compatriots and not competitors, collaborators and not combatants, comrades and not contenders in the task of building a viable and virile federation that will serve the interest of all.”
Bamidele condemned recent acts of violence, particularly in Benue and Plateau states, asserting that such incidents run contrary to the values Jesus preached. “The recent killings in Benue and Plateau states outrightly negated the virtues of peace and love that Jesus Christ taught during His days,” he said.
He further criticised certain political and regional actors for promoting tension through their statements, saying, “The recurrent utterances by some political and sectional figures also belied the values of courage, perseverance and tolerance. He evidently lived for.”
Bamidele stressed the importance of national cohesion, remarking that, “No country develops as a result of one section rising up against another, vice versa.”
Reaffirming the Senate’s legislative priorities, he said, “The Authority of the National Assembly is in the process of developing legal frameworks for the establishment of state police as one of the measures to address insecurity in the country.”
He urged collaboration among law enforcement agencies to root out those responsible for violence. “We urge security agencies to work together as a team to track and apprehend all the masterminds and sponsors of terror attacks nationwide,” Bamidele said.
The Senate Leader also cautioned political figures against taking advantage of Nigeria’s challenges for selfish gain.
“We appeal to some political actors who always lash out at the country’s challenges to push divisive narratives to learn from the example of Jesus Christ,” he said, adding that, “Such actors are no longer playing opposition politics, but simply taking advantage of the country’s internal conditions in the pursuit of their parochial political outcomes.”
Speaking on the role of the National Assembly, Bamidele reiterated the lawmakers’ commitment to Nigeria’s growth. “Nigeria is our ultimate project, and as a parliament, we are committed to the actualisation of this project,” he stated.
He added that the current Assembly is actively pursuing initiatives that will place the country on the path of peace and prosperity.
“This is evident in all the legislative initiatives we are pushing since the birth of the 10th National Assembly. And our goal is to build a federation that will be noted for peace, progress and prosperity anywhere in the world,” he said.
Bamidele concluded by appealing to all Nigerians to rise above ethnic and religious divides. “Regardless of their ethnicity, politics and religion, all actors should shun all forms of divisive utterance and join forces against the common foes of Nigeria and not to subvert our effort to build a strong and virile federation,” he said.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, a State Police Bill was previously sponsored by former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), representing Enugu.
The bill proposed the establishment of both federal and state police structures, alongside the creation of national and state police service commissions and councils.
Though introduced to the eighth Senate on June 12, 2018, the bill did not make it past the legislative process. At the time, Ekweremadu served as the chairman of the constitution review committee.
