Inspector General of Police IGP Kayode Egbetokun has assured Nigerians that the Nigeria Police is committed to the fulfilment of it’s obligations under the National Policy Frameworks for safety and security of schools in Nigeria.
The IGP gave the assurance during a strategic stakeholders forum on security and schools in Niger state, and the training of School Protection Squad,(SPS) organised by the Nigeria Police Force in Minna.
Represented by the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 7 Abuja Ogundele Ayodeji, the Inspector General of Police charged participants to ensure that knowledge acquired during the workshop are applied in real-time situation to provide safety and security of all schools in Niger state.
IGP Kayode Egbetokun enjoined the state Coordinator of Safe School Initiative and Commissioner of Police incharge of Niger state Shawulu Danmamman, to ensure seamless collaboration and cooperation with other security agencies and relevant stakeholders stressing that such cooperation must be activated and sustained in order to provide adequate protection for students their teachers and learning environments in the state.
Declaring the training opened, Niger state Governor Mohammed Umar Bago who has promised to provide all support needed to succeed, said his administration will continue to invest in programmes that promote peace tolerance and environment that discourages violence and extremism.
Represented by Secretary to the State Government Abubakar Usman Gawu, Governor Bago explained that education is key to unlocking vast potentials of their children and equipping them with necessary skills to navigate the challenges of modern world however it is disheartening to acknowledge that security of our schools have been severely compromised in recent times, leaving their children valnerable and the education in jeopardy which is unacceptable.
National Coordinator of the Safe School Initiative from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Hajiya Halima Ilya called for collective efforts by all and sundry to succeed and however said already the Federal Government has provided two hundred motorcycles to the execution of this onerous task.
Niger state Commissioners of Homeland security Brigadier General Mohammed Abdullahi Bello and that of Basic and Secondary Education Dr Hadiza Asabe Mohammed in their seperate remarks said they were doing everything possible in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure that schools in the state are safe devoid of any form of attack from any quota.
ALIYU LAWAL
