The Federal Government on Monday identified schools vulnerable to threats, adding that it has plan to protect and enhance safety of schools across the country.
Disclosing this in an interview with journalists at a one-day stakeholders’ meeting with the theme, ‘Strengthening Security Resilience and Integration of host communities in the Protection of Education’, the National Coordinator on Financing Safe Schools, Halima Iliya, harped on the essence of schools’ protection squad.
“We have the data for all the vulnerable communities which we have adequately planned for, we have written to all the states for them to take ownership and to provide information on all vulnerable communities, because, if you look at the geopolitical zones, they all have their peculiarity and we are ready.
“We are working with the intelligence body to provide us with threat analysis which we are aggressively working on,” Iliya explained.
Commenting on the SPS, Iliya stated that the squad is part of the plans of National Safe School Response Coordination Centre and that it is part of the obligation of the police as contained in the national plan.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator and Commissioner of Police in charge of the SPS at the force headquarters, CP Abayomi Shogunle, disclosed that a total of 60 police officers are being trained to be deployed as the SPS in Gombe state.
“This does not mean that other police officers in the state will not respond to threats. The force is ready and we have trained the officers on early warnings so that they can be proactive and tackle these threats before they occur,” Shogunle said.
According to him, the establishment of the SPS marks a shift in the country’s approach to securing the education sector, which has faced increasing threats from banditry, insurgency, and criminal activities across the country.
Shogunle assured that the SPS will focus on surveillance, intelligence gathering, and rapid response to security threats in and around school environments.
He added that the initiative seeks to strengthen security resilience and to integrate host communities into the security architecture in the protection of education.
He said, “The implementation of the plan is in phases with Gombe state being one of the pilot states.”
On his part, Gombe State Police Commissioner, Bello Yahaya, emphasised the importance of creating a safe space for students and educators.
He said, “Education is the backbone of our nation. Ensuring that our schools are secure is not only a priority but a responsibility we must all share.”
Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, the Gombe state commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Abdullahi Bello, assured that the government is committed to ensuring the safety and security of schools and communities across the state.
Bello added that “the governor is standing firm, ready to support the implementation of the SPS initiative in Gombe.”
