The National Coordinator, Schools Protection Squad, CP Abayomi Shogunle, has disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force now has a 24/7 functioning emergency centre dedicated to school emergencies.
He made the disclosure on Thursday at the stakeholders’ forum on the security of schools in Oyo State and the training of the Schools Protection Squad (SPS).
The two-day event, which was held in the city of Ibadan, had stakeholders including educationists, security experts, religious leaders, traditional institutions, students, traders, and government officials in attendance.
Also in full participation were other security agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Fire Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA), Federal Road Safety Corps, Amotekun Corps, and Man O’ War, among others.
CP Shogunle spoke on the security challenges the nation has faced in recent years, including kidnappings, homicide-related cases, and destruction of school infrastructure, which sometimes leads to the closure of such educational institutions and an increase in the number of out-of-school children.
He noted a 2021 report by the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools, which indicated that between 2012 and 2016, more than 600 teachers were killed in attacks while more than 19,000 students were displaced.
CP Shogunle said that the Safe School Initiative was launched by the federal government in 2024 to enable children affected by conflicts and insecurity to continue their education unhindered.
He said the plan includes a national investment response aimed at protecting schools, learners, teachers, and non-teaching staff from attacks in all parts of Nigeria.
Stressing that the right to education is central to social and economic progress, CP Shogunle noted that the policies being implemented are in line with the current administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the mandate of the Nigeria Police Force to secure lives and property, which is being pursued by the Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun.
In his remarks, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 11, Fred Ekokotu, who represented the IGP, said there was a need for collective responsibility to overcome the menace.
Welcoming the participants, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Johnson Adenola, explained that the meeting was to share ideas, strategies, and steps to take in making the nation’s schools safe.
In their goodwill messages, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, represented by Mogaji Nurudeen Akinade, and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, suggested that intelligence gathering, as well as partnering with institutions of learning on research and community engagement, would go a long way in making the dream a reality.
Declaring the workshop open, the governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Olusegun Olayiwola, identified hooliganism and cultism as the root causes of many crimes.
He encouraged the stakeholders to come up with suggestions and solutions that would guarantee a safe nation.
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