From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The Federal Government (FG) says it has identified schools vulnerable to threats and that it has properly planned to protect and enhance the safety of schools across the country.
This was disclosed by the National Coordinator on Financing Safe Schools, Hajiya Halima Iliya, during a stakeholders forum in preparation for the training and launching of the School Protection Squad (SPS), a specialized unit dedicated to safeguarding schools and preventing attacks in Gombe state.
“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 intelligence bodies to provide us with threat analysis, which we are aggressively working on,” the coordinator explained.
Commenting on the SPS, Halima stated that the squad is part of the plans of National Safe School Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) 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 train the officers on early warnings so that they can be proactive and tackle these threats before they occured,” he said.
According to him, the establishment of the SPS marks a shift in country’s approach to securing the education sector, which has faced increasing threats from banditry, insurgency, and criminal activities across the country. He 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”.
Also speaking at the engagement which was tagged “Strengthening Security Resilience and Integration of host communities in the Protection of Education”, the State Police Commissioner, Bello Yahaya emphasized the importance of creating a safe space for students and educators. Saying, “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 Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, the Gombe state commissioner of internal security and home affairs, Abdullahi Bello assured that the government is committed to ensuring safety and security of schools and communities across the state. Stating that the governor is standing firm, ready to support the implementation of SPS initiative in Gombe.