Rising Attacks: NASS Developing Framework For State Police , Says Senate Leader Bamidele
Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has revealed that the National Assembly is working on developing legal frameworks to create state police as a key measure to tackle the worsening security situation.
Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, disclosed this in his Easter message to Christians in Nigeria and around the world. While celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, he used the occasion to call for national unity and a renewed commitment to peace and justice.
The Senate Leader also condemned the recent killings in Benue and Plateau States, stating that such acts contradict the values of peace and love taught by Christ.
Bamidele warned against divisive political narratives that exploit Nigeria’s challenges for selfish gains, urging politicians and leaders to emulate Christ’s sacrificial example.
In his message, he called on all Nigerians to reflect on the life and teachings of Jesus, saying: “As we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord, it is exigent we reflect on His virtues; learn from His consecration and live His life of purpose rooted in the pursuit of justice, love and redemption for humanity.”
Highlighting the need for collective responsibility, Bamidele urged all actors—regardless of ethnicity, politics or religion—to avoid divisive utterances and support efforts to build a united country.
He further stressed that Nigeria is a shared project and affirmed the commitment of the 10th National Assembly to achieving national peace and prosperity.
The message read, “As we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord, it is exigent we reflect on His virtues, learn from His consecration, and live His life of purpose rooted in the pursuit of justice, love and redemption for humanity.
“Despite 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.
“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.
“The recent killings in Benue and Plateau States outrightly negated the virtues of peace and love that Jesus Christ taught during His days. The recurrent utterances by some political and sectional figures also belied the values of courage, perseverance and tolerance He evidently lived for. No country develops as a result of one section rising up against another vice versa.
“While 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, we urge security agencies to work together as a team to track and apprehend all the masterminds and sponsors of terror attacks nationwide.
“We appeal to some political actors that always lash on the country’s challenges to push divisive narratives to learn from the example of Jesus Christ. Such actors are no longer playing opposition politics, but simply taking advantage of the country’s internal conditions in the pursuit of their own parochial political outcomes.
“Nigeria is our ultimate project. As a parliament, we are committed to the actualisation of this project. 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.
“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.”
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
