The Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, has launched the Safe Schools Initiative in Osun State, aimed at ensuring the security and well-being of students, teachers, staff, and communities.
Egbetokun who was represented by AIG zone XI, Emuobo Fred emphasized the importance of collaboration between educational authorities, community leaders, and security agencies to guarantee school safety.
He disclosed this at a stakeholders’ forum on security of schools in Osun state and the training of the schools protection Squad.
He said, “This initiative embodies a culture of safety, ensuring the well-being of our students, teachers, staff, and communities. Born out of the IP’s commitment to securing our educational institutions, it underscores the critical role schools play in shaping our nation’s future.
“As sanctuaries of knowledge and nurturing grounds for future leaders, our schools are pivotal to national development. Their security is paramount, and it is our collective responsibility to shield them from potential threats.
“To achieve this, I have directed Commissioners of Police within the Zone to engage stakeholders in meetings to guarantee school safety,” he said.
Speaking, the national coordinator and commissioner of police, school protection squad (SPS), Force headquarters, Abuja, CP Abayomi Shogunle disclosed that national policy on safety, security and violence – free schools in a 2021 report indicated that between 2012 and 2016, more than 600 teachers were killed in attacks, while more than 19,000 were displaced.
He opined that “the security and safety of our schools and other learning environment continue to attract the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
According to him “In recent years, Nigeria had faced security challenges such as kidnappings, homicide related cases, and destruction of school infrastructure sometimes leading to school closures and negatively affecting the host communities, these incidences can be linked to the increasing numbers of out-of-school children. ”
“The National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools in a 2021 report indicated that between 2012 and 2016, more than 600 teachers were killed in attacks, while more than 19,000 were displaced.”
“The Nigerian government, recognizing its responsibility to create a safer and more secured learning environment formally signed the safe school declaration documentation on 31st December, 2019 to signal the country’s commitment to its implementation alongside 118 member countries. To further demonstrate the resolve to address the serious challenges posed by conflicts and insecurity to safety of schools, the Federal Ministry of Finance, in consultation with local and global stakeholders, conveyed a high-level forum on PA 20th April 2021 to address the menace of attacks on education on a holistic and sustainable basis by creating innovative sources of funding through federal, state and local governments.”
He said the plan has a national investment response aimed at protecting schools, learners, teachers and non-teaching staff from attacks in all parts of Nigeria, and was designed to achieve measurable outcomes such as reducing the numbers of out of school children and improving Nigerian
The national coordinator however stressed some objectives of the forum which includes to strengthen security resilience and integrate host communities into the security architecture in the protection of education, to enhance the capacity of the school communities to protect education and to create an effective and efficient national school security and emergency response infrastructure.
Others are to enhance the capacity of security agencies to gather intelligence, prevent, and respond to attacks on educational Institutions, to provide assistance to survivors of attacks on educational Institutions.
Shogunle also noted that the implementation of the plan is in phases with Osun State being one of the pilot states.
